Good Girls Go Bad
by J.Benz
Summary: AH, AU. Bella is an ordinary girl dating the perfect guy. He's ready to settle down, but she has some reservations. She's young and sheltered, and sometimes wonders if she's missing out. Throw in a wild drag racing stud Jacob Black,and what do you get?
1. Boys and Girls

**Hello, thanks for reading! Hope everyone is having a great 2011 so far :) For me, a new years starts a new fic. **

**This is marked as Bella/Jacob and it is. However, there will be Bella/Edward. So my request is that you read with an open mind.  
Chapter titles will be borrowed from songs that I believe have fitting lyrics, which I will also borrow.  
Told from Bella's POV.  
Rated M for adult themes and language!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. Chapter title is taken from 'Boys and Girls' which belongs to Good Charlotte.**

**Also, I have to give a huge thank you to my beta Katbug86 who made this more readable :) Thank you!**

CH1 Boys and Girls

_Boys and Girls by Good Charlotte:_

_"Girls don't like boys girls like cars and money.  
Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny"__  
_

BPOV

It smelt of gasoline and burning rubber. It was chaotic, loud, and kind of dirty. Just the way I liked it.

"Bella, love, are these seats okay?" Edward asked, looking completely uncomfortable squeezing his way through the throngs of people.

"They're perfect." I flashed him a grateful smile and grasped his hand in mine, tugging him down until he was sitting beside me on the metal bleacher.

Rosalie, my best friend and former classmate, wedged herself in front of me to sit on my other side, leaving poor Emmett abandoned on the opposite end, next to Edward. Rose slumped down next to me with an exasperated sigh before peeling off her shirt, leaving her in a tiny camisole.

"I can't believe it's this hot already," she said.

She pulled back her blonde locks into a perky ponytail and began fanning herself with her hand, attracting most of the male attention around us. Rose is strikingly beautiful – at 5'7" with blonde hair, long legs, and a toned body, she is not what you would expect to see at a drag racing track.

Then again, I don't think anyone would expect to see someone like me either. A mousy girl who likes literature and history isn't exactly a common description of an adrenaline junkie.

But we were here, finally, at a NHRA Drag Racing series in Gainesville, Florida. It was an hour away from where we all lived, but my boyfriend of three years, Edward, had surprised me and made a weekend getaway out of it, in honor of my birthday.

I had been thrilled and utterly shocked. I knew Edward had gone to Rosalie to ask for advice on something I would like, because he would never have gotten tickets to drag racing on his own.

My love of racing was something I rarely ever got to enjoy. It had started when I used to visit with my Dad in the summer months, and we would watch the televised races. He would teach me things here and there, since he was an avid and devoted fan. It was a hobby of mine, but one that I never was able to spend time learning about; so although I loved going to events, I didn't know technically that much about the sport.

Rose, on the other hand, could explain the engine of a car up and down. She could probably run circles around half of the guys there. She's an agent at a big PR company, but deep down I knew her passion was under the hood of a car rather than in an office.

Edward thrust his hand towards me and opened his palm, revealing two sets of bright orange ear plugs, one for me, and one for Rose.

"Don't want to hurt your ears!" he shouted too loudly, not realizing I could hear him perfectly fine – he was the one with the earplugs in already, not me.

I giggled and rolled my eyes at my thoughtful and sometimes overprotective boyfriend and turned to hand a pair to Rose. One look at the earplugs and she gave me an 'are-you-serious' look. I titled my head in Edward's direction and shrugged. I put mine in, to keep the peace, and Rose did the same.

Edward took my hand in his and leaned his face closer to mine. "What exactly are we watching?" He asked me.

"Eliminations," I told him. Rosalie could probably explain much better than I had, but I did the best I could. Each category of vehicles would verse two at a time down a straight quarter-mile track to try and get the fastest possible time. It's tournament style, which means thatdrivers are eliminated one by one until the team with the fastest time is crowned the winner.

Rose and I watched the first two competitors burnout in preparation for the first race. The air around the starting line darkened with grey exhaust.

Edward shot me a confused look when the drivers began reversing and backing up to the starting line position once again. "What was that?" He asked.

I tried to explain but was cut short by the rumbling of the engines. I shot him a polite smile and turned my head just in time to see the drivers get the green and take off. The noise and vibrations from the cars alone shook the seats. I whipped my head to follow them down the track, leaning forward in my seat to see them to the finish and check the board for their times.

The adrenaline rush was incredible - like nothing I had ever felt when watching races on television, that's for sure. And I was only in the stands! I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be behind the wheel.

"Two-hundred-thirty-six miles per hour," Rose read. "Not bad."

I tried to gauge Edward's reaction – he seemed equally unimpressed and uncomfortable. I assumed that racing just wasn't his thing, although he did have quite an impressive collection of cars - a Volvo S60R, a Mercedes S55 AMG, and an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.

He didn't exact buy them all on his own, but his family had provided him with that luxury thus far. His family, who we left behind in the little town of Forks, Washington, when we chose to move to Florida to finish our college degrees.

Edward and I met in high school, in Forks, during our junior year when my mom got remarried and I decided to move in with my father. Edward was that guy that every girl wanted and every guy wanted to be. He had a reputation for turning down even the more persistent of girls, yet he was taken with me, the new girl, for some odd reason that I still hadn't figured out.

Our relationship progressed pretty quickly. He was sweet and thoughtful and so unbelievably selfless that I couldn't help but be smitten by him. No other guy his age had maturity like he did. Add that to messy bronze hair and the body of a Greek God, and who wouldn't want that package delivered to their front door?

More importantly, he was good to me, and we got along well. His family wasn't the norm- he had lost both of his parents in an accident when he was very young, but he was taken in by wonderful people. I had an immediate affinity for his family - the stoic Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Esme, who treated me like her own daughter from the very beginning, and his adopted brothers Emmett and Jasper.

Each of them was so take-your-breath-away gorgeous that sometimes I felt like the odd one out. They were so perfect.

My father Charlie liked Edward, as much as he could like any boy his seventeen-year-old daughter was bringing home, anyway. We dated throughout high school and stayed in Washington for four years after that.

Edward was sure of his decision to pursue law, so he quickly went to work acquiring his undergraduate degree to get into Law school. There was no doubt he was smart; I felt like he knew everything already without even cracking a book.

The summer after high school graduation I was still undecided. And by the end of the summer I was still undecided. When the time came for me to make a final choice, I looked into programs at the community college, and every program was filled except one. I refused to be left behind and take a year off, although Edward assured me whatever I chose was fine, but I signed up on the spot.

I didn't think to actually consider that I was so not cut out for what I signed up for – nursing.

It was a far cry from the Bella that everybody knew. I could barely handle the sight of blood or wounds without getting woozy and coming close to passing out. And needles, there was just no way.

But I think that was the factor that spurred me on – it was a challenge, and I was terrified. No one thought I could do it, but I exceeded all their expectations and my own. I graduated at the top of my class after two years and passed my exams with flying colors. To the utter shock of myself and those around me, I could even complete a venipuncture without getting the slightest bit dizzy.

Once I nabbed my degree, I found a job in Seattle, a bit of a commute from home, but it was close to Edward. I found I had a love for working in medicine, but it wasn't my true passion. So two years later when Edward told me his dreams to attend Law School in Florida, I decided to go back to school too; part time, at least.

It was harder than I expected to say goodbye to my father and leave him alone in Forks, again. But I had to push the tears aside and follow Edward to Florida, since I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from him.

I moved into my mother and step-father's apartment in Jacksonville, and I took on the responsibility of caring for it while they were on the road during baseball season, which was most of it, since Phil was a minor league player. I insisted on paying the rent for the months while they were gone, and I treated it like my own apartment. Edward shared an apartment with Emmett that was closer to their campus. He was finishing up his second year in Law School and working at a firm as an intern.

I found a wonderful job at a prestigious hospital, and I'd like to think that it was because of my impressive resume that I landed the position, not Dr. Cullen's good word. But Edward was nothing if not helpful, sometimes more helpful than for his own good.

It was while I was working and attending a few business classes at a local college where I met ostentatious Rosalie Hale. When I introduced her to Edward and his brother, is when carefree Emmett fell head over heels. Rose, on the other hand, wasn't so convinced.

My thoughts brought me back to the present and I snuck a glance at Emmett. He had an animated grin on his face while watching the crews set up for the next round, but every so often he would peek at Rose. He caught me staring and his grin widened, as he tilted his head toward Rose.

"You know," I started once I turned toward Rose, "Emmett was excited to come today. I never knew this, but apparently he knows his way around a car."

"Your point?" Rosalie asked while keeping her eyes on the track.

I laughed and bumped her shoulder. "My point ...is that you have something in common."

"That's nice," she replied flatly.

The conversation dropped as the next set of drivers waited for the green. The anticipation built as we watched on with awe. The engines grew louder and louder until the cars flew down the track faster than my eyes could keep up.

Rosalie and I were bouncing in our seats by the tenth elimination, scoping out the cars and betting on speeds and times. Our enthusiasm was endearing to most of our fellow attendees around us, except for Edward. He seemed more bored with each passing round, and he wasn't hiding it.

Around one we decided to stretch our legs a little and walk around the pits. Basically it was the team's dugout – where their trailers were parked. There would be tents set up with some of the team under it, if they weren't racing at the moment. If we were lucky, we could catch a few crews working on their cars and revving the engines for show. There were, of course, tons of sponsor stands and little shops in between, offering different activities and merchandise.

Edward wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked around to check it out.

"I'm starving," Rose whined, patting her flat stomach.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked. Edward cut me off, however, seemingly he had other plans.

He pointed in the direction of the parking lot. "I actually packed us lunch ...," he said. "It's in the cooler in my car."

"Oh," I replied. "That was very nice of you, honey."

"Why would you do that? There are tons of places to eat around here," Rose criticized, holding her arm out to emphasize the plethora of food stands. Rose may be model skinny, but the girl can eat.

Edward scrunched his face up in disgust. "I didn't think you girls would be ... interested in eating food from any of these ... places."

I patted his hand which was firmly in my own. "It's fine. We'll go to the car for lunch."

Rose grumbled under her breath but followed as Edward led us to the car. His sense of direction was impeccable, another thing I admired about him. If you spun me around three times in the high school that I attended for two years, I'd probably get lost. I always could rely on him to keep me in the right direction.

We ate the sandwiches from our favorite deli that Edward had thoughtfully picked up this morning. He and I were sitting sideways out of the driver's seat of his car with the door open, and since we were parked on the grass lot, which Edward wasn't thrilled with, we had some space to ourselves. After the cooler was emptied, Rose made it into a seat and perched herself happily atop it, while Emmett set himself down on the grass beside her.

They were in a discussion of methanol versus nitromethane, a conversation which I was unable to follow after the second sentence. At least Rose was behaving.

I felt Edward nuzzle his face into my neck, buried in my hair, and I sighed contently. I tried not to think about the fact that my hair was plastered to my head because it was a hundred and one degrees out, and I was sweating like I had just run a mile through the desert.

I was starting to wish I had taken Rose's advice on what to wear. She had shown up at my apartment that morning with matching outfits for the both of us; short denim shorts and a tiny cami with a lace top over it. But when we met up with Edward he had given me a look that said hell no, and I went back inside to change. He knew we were going to be at an event composed mainly of men, and he said he didn't feel like getting into a fight today because some guy was ogling me. I was flattered, and I knew he liked me best when I was in my customary jeans and a tee shirt anyway, so I didn't complain.

"Are you having fun?" Edward asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you for bringing us here."

"Anything for you, love," he replied. "But next year, let me take you somewhere fancy. Someplace elegant and beautiful at a five star hotel where you can be waited on hand and foot like you deserve." Now, I'll admit, a vacation like that sounded nice, and yes, what girl doesn't like being pampered once in a while, but I was elated and happy to be at the track; for some reason Edward wasn't getting that.

"That sounds nice. Maybe next year," I told him, instead of trying to explain for the hundredth time that I was perfectly happy with this trip, even happier than I would have been at the Ritz Carlton.

Rose sprung up off the cooler, and Edward and Emmett began packing away the leftovers from lunch. Rose tugged on my hand. "Come on, we're going to miss the best races!" She insisted.

Edward chuckled at her childish impatience before we all made our way back to the seats, passing through the pits as we went. We stopped for a few minutes at one trailer to take pictures beside one of the cars. Edward designated himself as cameraman, and I knew when I got the photos developed they would only be of Rose and I.

We had been sitting in the stands watching another few races when suddenly Rose squealed and pointed downward toward the track. Edward rolled his eyes and smiled, but he was busy typing away on his phone keyboard.

"Look!" She pointed. "Leah Clearwater!"

Leah Clearwater was one of the only females in drag racing, and she was a pretty big name. Shewas a beautiful girl that kicks some serious ass on the track, and, for that, she won my admiration. She placed first in a couple major championships, which earned her the respect she deserved as a driver.

We watched her totally dominate her opponent, winning her a standing ovation and roaring crowd, which included Rose and me shouting at the top of our lungs jumping haphazardly up and down. I think Emmett joined in a bit too, although he wouldn't admit to it later. Edward shook his head at our behavior, and I attempted to reign myself in a bit.

Rose and I chatted animatedly about the winners of the day who we would be seeing in the final tournament tomorrow, and Emmett leaned over Edward to join in the conversation. He even made Rose laugh a couple of times, and for that I gave him a lot of credit. She was a difficult one to crack.

It was late in the afternoon and the crowd was thawing a little bit. I could tell Edward was relieved to be heading home soon, but I was determined to stay until the last race. Even if we were coming back tomorrow, I wanted to soak up as much of the races as possible. I knew this was a rare occurrence that I got to indulge in my adrenaline junkie side, and once the weekend is over I had to go back to hard working, studious Bella, caring and reserved girlfriend of Edward Masen. That's who I was, after all. I never let the other side of me come out very often, usually not at all. I think this was the first time Edward had even seen it, and he's been with me for almost six years.

Rose suddenly swung her arm out and ended up hitting me in the chest.

"Rose!" I protested, while she successfully ignored me.

"Oh my God! He's so hot!" She swooned.

I rolled my eyes but looked on in interest. Jacob Ephraim Black was sauntering onto the track like he was God's gift. And hell, maybe he was, but did he have to be cocky about it?

"Rose," I scoffed. "He's five-hundred feet away. You can't even see his face."

"I can see enough to know that he's hot!" She argued.

"Whatever you say, Rose," I sighed.

Jacob Black was another well-known name in the drag racing world, holding some pretty impressive world records and titles. I guess you could say he was a celebrity within his sport, but if you asked the average person on the street they wouldn't know him from the next guy.

All eyes were on him as he slipped into his car and his crew did last minute check-ups and positioned him at the starting line; tires skid across the pavement during the burnout, then minutes later the drivers were given the green. The cars whizzed by us, and I almost gave myself whiplash trying to follow their path. The audience erupted in cheers once again, and I struggled to see past all the bodies what the fuss was about.

He had set the bar for the fastest time today - and the greatest speed.

"Finally! A guy who knows how to handle his equipment!" Rose shouted over the voice of the crowd.

I burst into laughter and gave Edward an apologetic look. He smiled back at me.

"I'm going to head to the car, love. I need to make a phone call for work. You shouldn't be much longer, right? Why don't you, Rose, and Emmett meet me in the car when you're ready to go?" I knew that was his way of getting out of staying there any longer, where he clearly didn't want to be, and I felt a pang of remorse for even having us come in the first place.

"Sure," I answered.

"Emmett knows where the car is, so make sure you stay with him, okay? Don't get lost or anything," he teased. He gave me a quick peck on the lips before scurrying off to make his phone call. We watched another race before deciding to call it a day and headed back to the car through the pit area.

Most teams were packing up for the day, and some crews were lounged under the shade of their tent, drinks in hand, and content smiles on their faces. A bunch of drivers were eliminated by today's races, but I knew the ones who made it were excited and geared up for tomorrow.

Rosalie, with Emmett in tow, found her way to Leah's trailer and struck up a conversation with one of her crewmates. I knew she was trying to get a chance to talk to Leah herself, and if anyone could make that happen, it would be Rose.

I wandered off a bit, while keeping both of them in my line of sight. I walked past the neighboring trailer and was admiring the engine on display, wishing I knew what parts did what, or even what they were called. I must have been lost in thought for a few minutes, because when I heard Rosalie call my name I instinctively turned toward the sound and as a result tripped over my own feet.

I put out my arms and braced myself for a familiar fall, but it never came. My hands came in contact with strong arms that had halted me from hitting the asphalt. I blushed furiously, embarrassed to be caught in the arms of a stranger mid-fall. I mumbled a thank you and looked up into the eyes of my savior.

It was none other than Jacob Black himself. How did I not realize I was standing in front of his trailer this whole time? Had he been out there while I was staring at the engine of the car?

"Are you okay?" He asked in a smooth voice, with a smile on his face. I attempted to stutter out a response but no words were coming out of my mouth.

"Bella!" I heard Rose call again, thankfully breaking me out of my trance. I was still securely in Jacob's arms. This was awkward.

"Thank you," I said again, before I began to sprint off in the direction of Rosalie and Emmett and didn't look back.

**Reviews are appreciated, please leave one! **


	2. What If?

**Hello again :) I have a couple of things to say quickly:  
-First, my account has been spazzing out lately! My hit counter and story stats is not working. If anyone knows how to fix that, please help! Also, I replied to every review left from chapter 1, but it doesn't look like they went through! So if you did review -thank you!  
-Second, I forgot to mention that the title of this fic "Good Girls Go Bad" is taken from a song by Cobra Starship ("I knew that you were trouble but I couldn't resist"), which I do not own.  
-Third, there was a little mistake in the last chapter: Bella refers to Edward as her 'boyfriend of three years'. It's been longer than that - since she does also mention they went through four years in Forks and moving to FL. So it's more like five or six years.**

**PLEASE READ: Now, most of you in your reivews said, yes this is a J/B story, but you are willing to put up with Edward for a bit. I'm so glad that you are giving this a chance. That being said, there is a little E/B lemon towards the middle of this chapter - but it has a purpose! It is there to show a contrast between Edward and someone that Bella may be intimate with in the future ;) If it's asking too much, then you can simply skip over that small part. It's not critical to the understanding of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. I also do not own the chapter title "What If" - that belongs to Jason Deurlo.  
And a big thank you to Katbug86, my wonderful beta :)**

Ch2 "What If"

"_What if you're the one, and us meeting here is fate?  
This is the first time I've seen your face,  
yet there's a chance we are soulmates"__  
_

Rose was in hysterics as I caught up to her and Emmett. We headed to the car where Edward was waiting.

"It's not funny!" I insisted, even though after that incident I was close to bursting into laughter too. By the time we reached the car my stomach was hurting from laughing so hard. Rosalie was bent over clutching her stomach, and Emmett was shaking his head. Edward raised an eyebrow at our approach.

Rosalie offered an explanation once she could compose herself. "Just Bella being Bella."

"Hey!" I began to protest. "Well, I can't argue with that," I said, hoping my flushed face had returned to normal.

We all piled into the car, Edward and Emmett up front and Rose and I in the back. She leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed.

"So, I was thinking we could clean up and meet for dinner somewhere," Edward suggested. We headed back to the small hotel we had booked for the weekend. Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, and I went off to our separate rooms to shower and dress.

After a quick but necessary shower, I pulled on black leggings and a light tunic, nothing too dressy.

Some debating and one recommendation from the concierge later, we ended up dining at a local steakhouse. Rosalie, of course, looked stunning in a cute little black number that ended mid-thigh.

Most of the night, Edward and I watched Emmett try to win Rose over. It was quite entertaining. Edward's brother was a fiercely loyal type of guy, and I knew he would be great for Rose. But I also understood why she had her guards up. In high school Rose gave everything to her boyfriend-turned-fiancé, Royce, and he ended up doing her wrong. She had been convinced that if a guy so perfect on paper could be guilty of something so horrible, then there was no one out there.

She dated around, flirted, and was completely happy with that. Emmett, however, was trying desperately to get her attention. It was endearing to see their banter and obvious flirting. I had forgotten what it felt like to flirt; when you're learning new things about a person and getting to know them.

A piano melody interrupted my observations. Usually, I hated when Edward's phone rang. I despised the sound of that stupid ringtone from that overworked Blackberry. The thing I hated the most, though, was when he sat across the table from me and texted, or checked his email, or looked something up on the web. Tonight, at least he got up and excused himself from the table before answering.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow, Bella?" Rose asked.

I shrugged. "Whatever we want to do, I guess. We can pick up breakfast to eat at the track, watch the races, and probably head home mid-afternoon." I pushed aside my dessert plate – I had eaten more than I could fit in my stomach.

"I'm thinking about looking for more potential clients in the pits tomorrow. Maybe I can branch out and represent a driver," Rose commented.

"That would be awesome, Rose! You think any of them will be interested?"

Rose smirked. "Of course." I always envied her confidence.

Edward placed himself back into the booth beside me, tucking his phone away in his pocket. I looked at him with curious eyes.

"Work," he responded.

"Everything okay?"

"They want me to cover the office tomorrow for a few hours. Someone called out sick." Oh man, stupid office. I was really looking forward to the rest of the trip.

"Oh."

"I told them I was out of town."

My eyes narrowed in on Edward. My jaw might have dropped a bit though, but that's how surprised I was. Edward rarely turned down things like extra hours.

He smiled my favorite smile. "This is your weekend, love, I wasn't about to cut it short. I'm sure other opportunities will come around at work."

"Aw, Edward, thank you." I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. I was thankful that I was going to have one more day to indulge in my speed needs. "But if you're sure it's okay. I don't mind, really. If you have to get back home for work we can head back to Jacksonville."

"Bella, please," Rose interjected. "You've been looking forward to this for months. You do not need to follow Edward home so he can sit in a stuffy office on a Sunday to shuffle papers."

One glance at Edward and I saw he didn't appreciate the comment. He was too nice of a person to say anything, and he knew I was friends with Rose, so he respected that.

No sooner had we paid the bill than Rosalie was practically dragging me out the door. "I'm so excited for a night out! We're going to head to Luxe; it opened a couple of months ago, and I've been dying to go."

"Luxe?" Edward asked.

"It's a club. We should call a cab ...unless someone wants to be designated driver?" Rose pointed to each one of us but got a response from no one. "Cabs it is!" She declared, dashing to the car.

"I didn't know you had plans with Rose," Edward whispered in my ear to me.

"I didn't. I wasn't sure what we were going to do tonight. Do you want to try out Luxe?"

"A club? Bella, when have you known me to go to a club?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It could be fun. I've never been to a club either."

"Nah, I'm not really into that. I mean, if you want to go, you can, but I don't see the point."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for someone like Rose, or Emmett – they're single, they can go to a club and meet people and dance and all of that. But why would I want to go when I'm already perfectly happy in a relationship? I don't need to go out and meet anyone, I already have you."

I couldn't really argue with that logic. Rosalie looked excited though, and I would have been lying if I said I wasn't tempted. We piled back into the car to head to the hotel, and Rose and Emmett were catching a cab from there.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Rose questioned. She already knew from our college days together that I wasn't a party girl, so I was surprised she expected anything more now.

I turned around from the passenger seat to shoot her a smile. "Yes, Rose, I'm positive. Have fun, okay? And you can call if you need me. But we're leaving at nine in the morning, no excuses!"

"Yes, ma'am," she saluted.

We parted ways, and Edward and I made our way to our room for the night. It wasn't anything special; a spacious double bed with a television and a desk – pretty standard. Before changing for bed, I dashed to the bathroom to clean my face and take off the light makeup I had applied earlier. I slipped into cotton sweatpants and one of Edward's tee-shirts before climbing into bed beside him. He had already stripped to his boxers and was channel surfing to find something to watch.

"Hi," he smiled before lifting an arm, allowing me to snuggle up as close as I could get. It was rare that we got to spend the night together like this, under the same roof. Edward wasn't a fan of sleepovers. He argued that we both had our own places and were paying rent, so what was the point of staying at one house all the time? Besides, Edward had a roommate to be worried about, and my mother and stepfather's apartment was too far away from campus for him to stay.

"Hi," I replied.

He chuckled and placed a soft kiss to my forehead before turning his concentration back to the show that was playing. It was interesting enough to keep my attention for a while, until I grew bored and kind of antsy.

I grasped Edward's free arm and laid it across my lap, lazily drawing imaginary lines up and down his forearm, gently tracing my fingernails over his smooth skin. He sighed contently and began mimicking my actions with his other hand that was around my shoulder.

He still wasn't catching on to my intentions, so while still in his embrace, I turned a bit so my lips could reach his neck. I grazed them across the part of his body where his neck met his shoulder before placing open-mouthed kisses along his jaw. He made a sound of contentment and one of his hands held to the back of my neck as he turned his chin to give me more access.

I was usually never the one to initiate sex, but there was the occasion when I had gotten things going, much like tonight. After all, we were on vacation, and I wasn't about to waste the opportunity to share a bed.

Edward seemed to agree with me, because he didn't stop me as I kissed my way down his sculpted bare chest, only ending my trail at the waistband of his boxers.

I brushed across his arousal with my chest as I adjusted myself so I was between his legs. His eyes were focused on my actions, but he didn't say a thing. The only sounds were our hitched breathing and the background noise of the forgotten TV. My mouth found his again, and I pressed my lips hard against his, trying to convey some sense of passion and urgency. I wasn't in the mood for slow tonight.

I fisted my shirt and tugged it over my head. Edward's hands quickly replaced my shirt, and I jumped slightly from the cold touch. Wordlessly, he kissed me again and nudged my legs gently with his own, effectively flipping me onto my back.

He was a traditional guy; he liked to stick with what worked. And, hey, if it got the job done, who was I to complain? It wasn't like I wanted to try anything different; my lack of sexual confidence would become pretty evident in that scenario, and I liked to think I was good at what I was doing.

Edward had shed his boxers somewhere at the foot of the bed and was making fast work of my sweats. I kicked them off once they were at my feet.

"I love you so much," he whispered before entering me. It was a comfortable and familiar pleasure when he filled me. I moaned into his shoulder as he pulled himself out, almost completely, before sheathing himself in my heat again.

Edward knew my body possibly more than he knew his own – what areas were extra sensitive, what angle made me lose control, and he absolutely took advantage of that fact. We didn't waste any time bringing each other to the brink of ecstasy.

My hand was in his hair and my hips were meeting his every thrust. His pace increased, and I knew he was close. One of his hands found the spot where we were so intimately connected and rubbed against the bundle of nerves it found there. I moaned when my legs quivered before my whole body tensed then shivered with my release. I held Edward tighter to me, feeling his thrusts become erratic until he spilled into me.

He hovered over me with his eyes closed until our breathing evened. "I love you," he repeated, then pulled out of me and kissed me on the forehead sweetly before finding his boxers and returning to his side of the bed.

I peeked over his shoulder to see the clock, it was nearing midnight. I lazily settled into my pillow, not feeling any need to redress. Sleep didn't overtake me like it did Edward; I was envious of the fact that he could fall asleep mostly anywhere, right when his head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes.

After counting ceiling tiles, sheep, and even listening to a few songs on my iPod, I was still awake. Frustrated, I groaned and thrust my hand toward the foot of the bed to find my clothes. I slipped back into them and stumbled across the room to find my purse. The TV was still humming in the background - we had forgotten to turn it off.

My phone was blinking, indicating I had a message; it was a picture from Rose. She was clinging to Emmett, her arm around his neck with a drink in the other hand. He looked completely sloshed; I shook my head with a smile on my face. Poor Emmett couldn't keep up with Rose. I knew her better than to think she would drink too much and consequently let her guard down. I just hope she didn't have to do much babysitting for Emmett.

The next day was warmer than the last. The sun was already blaring overhead by ten, when we found our seats. Edward, Emmett, Rose, and I sat down, and I pulled out a brown bag of breakfast sandwiches from my purse, dishing them out to each person before unwrapping my own and taking a bite.

Rose recalled most of the details of her night to me as we ate.

"What time did you get back to the hotel?" I asked between bites.

She shrugged. "I don't remember. I think around three or something."

I shook my head."You guys are crazy. I would have been passed out from exhaustion by then."

"Nah, we had fun," she insisted.

"So you didn't wear out Emmett?" I glanced at Edward's brother.

"He kept up for a while. I was impressed," she laughed. A big smile spread on my face.

"Oh yeah?"

She rolled her eyes at my expression. "Don't get your hopes up yet, Swan," she said dismissively.

We watched the first couple of races as drivers began to get eliminated. Watching the cars fly past us and hearing the overpowering sound of the engines was just as exhilarating the second day. I wondered if it could ever get old.

I took a few videos with my phone and sent them to Charlie, provided he would know how to open them. Three drivers were eliminated during the morning, one of them being Leah Clearwater. Rose and I were disappointed.

Rose sighed. "I need to stretch a bit, want to walk around with me?" She asked.

"Yeah, definitely," I agreed. Emmett was exhausted, so he and Edward had gone back to the car earlier to relax without a crowd.

We slipped down the aisle of people, ignoring an inappropriate whistle, which I'm sure was directed at Rose. She led us to the pits where a few crews were heading home for the day, and others were celebrating their wins so far. She tugged on my hand, and we found ourselves in front of Leah's trailer. There was an engine on display, and the crew was revving it for the large crowd that had formed. It was obnoxiously loud, and I choked on the exhaust fumes.

Rose pushed her way through the crowd, and I followed until we made it to the front. She fluffed her golden curls and brushed off her clothes before calling over one of the mechanics. Rose had chosen a more sophisticated look this morning, compared to the rest of the audience, and I knew this meant she was all business. She wore a simple blouse and skinny jeans with wedge heels - I would have tripped down the bleachers wearing those.

She smiled her hundred-watt smile for the man and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale, it's nice to meet you." He introduced himself and shook her hand, but I couldn't hear much because the engine started up again. I was sure she was talking mechanical talk, because the man had a look of pure awe on his face as she gestured to the engine.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket just then. I glanced over at Rose who was still busy working her magic, so I stepped away from the crowd to answer it.

"Hey, beautiful," Edward cooed.

"Hi Edward. What's up?"

"Emmett and I are picking up lunch. Do you or Rose want anything?"

"Yeah, sure, that'd be great. Just get us whatever, we're not picky. Thanks."

"Of course, we should only be a few minutes. We'll meet you guys back here. Are you at our seats?"

"Not right now. Rose is trying to land Leah Clearwater as her next client."

Edward chuckled. "Twenty says she's representing her by tomorrow."

"I can't bet against Rose."

We hung up, and I turned, scanning Leah's trailer for Rose. There was still a big crowd, and I wasn't in the mood to push through people again to find her. I was sure she would come find me when she was done. Instead, I lazily walked past the neighboring trailers, glancing at the pieces they had out and taking a few more pictures to send to Charlie.

I walked by a stationary Formula One car that wasn't roped off, and there wasn't anyone around it. It was one of my father's favorite models, so I took a few shots. No one was around to take a picture of me and the car, and I wanted at least one shot with me in it to send. Charlie always loved it when I emailed him updates of what's been going on with me. We had really formed a strong bond when I lived with him for those few years.

I held the camera away from my body at arms length and adjusted it so my face and the front of the car would all be visible. I knew this could possibly come out looking disastrous, but it was worth a try.

It flashed, and I waited a second before bringing it close and looking at the preview displayed on the screen. I gasped when I saw another face in the frame, just behind me, and smiling brightly towards the camera purposely.

I spun around and came face to face with the perpetrator. I took a deep breath and a few steps back to steady myself.

"I didn't mean to ruin your picture," he chuckled, "but I couldn't resist. I'm sorry, I'll take another one for you if you'd like." He held out his hand, gesturing for me to hand him the camera.

"Uh, well, that's okay. . ."

He took the camera from my unsteady hands anyway and held it up, readying himself to take the picture. I smiled the best I could while still in shock. He looked at how it came out, and, satisfied, he handed it back to me.

"Looks great," he commented.

"Um, thanks," I stuttered.

"I'm Jacob, by the way. We ran into each other yesterday, I don't know if you remember, well, you fell into me, actually."

I laughed, embarrassed. Did he really think I forgot that? "Right, hi."

He looked at me with a brilliant smile on his face. For a moment I took in his full stature. He was taller than I remembered, probably because last time I saw him in person I was on my way to being horizontal. I wasn't paying much attention.

Jacob was a foot taller than me, I estimated, and his shaggy black hair was laying flat on his head from a racing helmet, I assumed. He was wearing one of those racing suit things, all white with flames on the sleeves and logos of his sponsors on the chest. It was unzipped down the front, revealing a thin tee shirt.

"You know, usually when someone introduces themselves and gives you their name, they're looking for your name, too," he teased.

"Oh." I flushed red with embarrassment again.

He laughed again, a hearty deep laugh. "Are you gonna make me guess?" He asked, finding enjoyment in my star struck state.

"It's ...I'm, um, Bella." God, why couldn't I form a coherent sentence? He was going to think I was some crazy, obsessed fan. "Thanks for the picture," I said, composing myself, "and for catching me yesterday, again."

"Anytime, beautiful."

I bit my lip to hide a smile.

"I wouldn't tag you for a racing girl, but then again I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, huh?"

I grinned. "I guess not."

"Are you enjoying the tournament?" He asked.

I nodded enthusiastically, then realized how silly I must have looked standing there bobbing my head. "Definitely, I've never seen any races in person before, only from the television," I admitted.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"In that case, I think I have just what you need."

I narrowed my eyes, but a smile was tugging at the corners of my lips. _I bet you do_.

"What's that Mr. Black?" _Was I flirting?_

"V.I.P access to my trailer this afternoon," he replied smoothly, pulling some passes from his pocket and handing me one. "Provided I win today's events, which," he shrugged, "isn't too far away of an idea, I'm having a bit of a…celebration, you could say. I'll show you the best parts of racing. What do you say?"

_No way!_ A hundred thoughts burst into my mind at that moment, and I tried to decipher one from the other. Jacob Black was standing in front of me, offering me 'backstage' passes to his trailer. That was surreal in itself. Why was I flattered? Did this mean he was interested? Was he just trying to get in my pants? Or was he being sincerely nice? What about Edward? Why wasn't I completely turned off at the idea of spending some time away from him, but with Jacob instead? What kind of a devoted and faithful girlfriend was I?

"Bella?" He asked. My eyes were drawn up to his again. He was looking at something over my head, a frown forming on his face. "Please tell me that's your brother or cousin or something coming over to us. Please don't say you have a boyfriend."

The color drained from my face, and I spun around quickly. Sure enough, Edward was sauntering toward us, lunch in his hands. I turned back to Jacob, who was looking at me expectantly.

Why did I suddenly have the urge to lie to him and say Edward was only a friend of mine?

"Um, yeah, I've got to go. Thanks, though!" I called over my shoulder while jogging away from him. I could've sworn I heard him curse under his breath. I sprinted towards Edward, a smile on my face. "Hey," he said, kissing me lightly on the lips. "Who was that?"

Rose and Emmett were heading toward us, and I thought fast. "Oh, just one of the drivers, Rose asked me to hand out her cards."

He chuckled. "Ah, I should have guessed. Rose is always business. Well, we have lunch, c'mon." He took my hand in his, and we caught up with Rose and Emmett.

Rose gave me a pointed glare and a knowing smirk. She was going to want details.

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review :)**


	3. The Truth

**Thank you to those of you who left reivews for the last chapter ! Sorry I didn't get to respond to each one.**  
**We're going to have to put up with Edward for a little bit longer, be patient! I'm trying to make this a realistic timeline. Don't stress-Jake is coming soon :)  
Also, I have to fudge the medical aspect of this story to make it work for this fic and my characters, so it may be a bit of a stretch at times-just go with it...**

**Disclaimer: I am not S. Meyer, nor do I claim to be. I am just borrowing her characters. Also I do not own the song or lyrics of the chapter title "The Truth" - that belongs to Kris Allen.  
Also, I send out a thank you to my beta, Katbug86 for cleaning up this chapter :)**

Ch 3 "The Truth"

_"It's the elephant in the room  
And we pretend that we don't see it.  
It's the avalanche that looms  
Above our heads, but we don't believe it._

_Trying' to be perfect,  
Trying not to let you down, yeah  
Honesty is honestly the hardest thing for me right now, yeah._

_When the floor underneath our feet are crumblin'  
The walls we built together tumblin'  
I'll stand here holding up the roof  
Cuz it's easier than tellin' the truth."_

Monday came around too fast, like it always seemed to do. Although it was nice to settle back into my comfortably familiar routine, I missed the spontaneity of our weekend getaway.

Yesterday afternoon, the four of us- Rose, Emmett, Edward, and I –had made the trip home and parted ways. Rose unfailingly called that evening after I had finished unpacking, and begged for the details of my conversation with Jacob Black.

I kept telling myself it wasn't a big deal; people have silly, pointless conversations all the time, people meet new people and they talk. People also meet people that they only see once and then never think about again. It was a coincidence that we had run into each other twice, a very nice coincidence, but nothing more than that. I openly expressed that to Rosalie and willed myself to believe it as well, although some piece in the back of my mind argued otherwise.

Besides, in the long scheme of things, it was unimportant. We were back in Jacksonville, and I had work to attend to. I got up early, only hitting the snooze button once before rolling myself out of the twin bed I still had, and had slept in since I was a kid. It was comfortable, and it could fit two people if you tried, so I never bothered to get a new one.

I slipped out of the heaven of warm sheets and fluffed pillows and made my way to the shower. I waited for the water to run warm before undressing and dipping underneath the spray. I quickly washed up while going over my to-do list for the day. There wasn't much I had to do, except work, of course, and some laundry from the weekend. I was looking forward to an easy, simple day to get back into the swing of things and recuperate from the weekend.

I sent Edward a quick text to say good morning. I knew he would be going through his morning routine much like I was. It was a custom of ours- I would text him in the morning when I got up, and I knew to expect a text from him when he got to work.

After a minute of deliberation, I twisted my damp hair into a bun and pinned it high on top of my head. I pulled a set of hunter green scrubs out of a drawer and pulled them on. I added socks, sneakers, and a light jacket, and I was ready to go. I grabbed an on-the-go breakfast on my way out and hurried to work.

Upon stepping foot in the hospital, I clipped on my badge and plastered a smile on my face. I made my way to my small locker where I stashed my purse, and then plopped down at an empty chair at the front desk.

"Good morning, Angela," I said in way of greeting.

She smiled brightly at me and handed me a Styrofoam cup.

"Morning. Coffee." I laughed and sipped the steaming liquid gratefully. Angela was like our department manager. She wasn't a supervisor, but she was the most organized and reliable person, so we all looked to her as the coordinator.

My job was usually just to check on the patients on our floor. I was responsible, along with a few other nurses, to make rounds and check that our patient's needs were being met. Besides the clinical aspect of my work, I also had to care for some administrative work. I didn't mind sitting behind the desk and handling paperwork, sometimes it was easier than dealing with demanding patients.

I took another sip of the bitter coffee and looked over at the list of patients I had to see today. Most of the people who roomed on our floor were somewhat long-term, as compared to one or two night stays.

"How's the morning been?" I asked Angela. She was scheduled to arrive a little earlier than me; whereas I dragged myself in here at eight, she's here and working by seven a.m.

"Nice and quiet," she smiled. "I was actually able to put a dent in the pile of work I had from the weekend. Speaking of, how did your little vacation go?"

"Oh, it was a lot of fun. Edward surprised me and we went to the racetrack in Gainesville with his brother and a friend of mine."

She raised an eyebrow. "The racetrack?"

I shrugged. "I had a good time."

"Well, that's good." She flipped through a few pages of paperwork, and I returned my focus to the list of patients. It was starting off to be a nice and easy day, exactly what I was expecting and hoping for.

My cell phone buzzed from on top of the desk, where I had placed it when I first came in.

I heard Angela chuckle, but she didn't look up. "Edward at work?"

I blushed, checking the screen to see, in fact, it was Edward. Not that I was expecting anything else. It was the time he got to work, anyway. "Yeah," I answered.

"It never fails," she teased. Okay, so maybe Angela knew our little morning messages. That's just because she was with me mostly every morning during the week to see it.

So why was I suddenly paranoid that my life and relationship with Edward was becoming routine and route?

I sighed and slipped my phone into my pocket before putting my lab coat on and stethoscope around my neck.I traveled from room to room; greeting patients, reading over charts, documenting current vitals, adjusting IVs and oxygen, administering medications, changing dressings of a wound – there was always something to be done and someone to take care of.

We had a steady flow of work to be done so I was kept busy throughout the morning. I was able to sneak in a lunch break around one o'clock with Angela. We sat in the staff lounge room together, able to get some quiet.

I grabbed my phone and sent Edward a quick text to see how his day was going before I unwrapped my sandwich.

"How's everyone this morning?" Angela asked.

"Decent. Not much going on. That one older woman, Peters is the last name, I think, has some abnormalities on her EKG."

"Charlotte? She was supposed to be discharged this afternoon."

"Well, Dr. Allman ordered an echo on her; I saw it in her chart. She has been having PVC's since her surgery. She might be down at echo already."

Angela shrugged as my phone began to buzz. The caller ID told me it was Edward calling. This was a surprise – it was well into the afternoon now, and on Mondays I knew he worked a half day and then has class in the afternoon. Panic struck me then, and I rushed to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello my beautiful Bella. How's your day going so far?"

"Um, good. Is everything okay?" I asked in a rush. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," he responded.

"Oh."

"What? I can't call my girlfriend just to see how her day is going?" He asked, sounding offended.

"Of course you can Edward; that's sweet of you. My day is going fine, thank you. It's been pretty laid back this morning," I told him.

"Good, I'm glad. Are you up for dinner tonight? I want to take you out."

"Sure, that sounds great. Where do you want to go?"

He hesitated for the slightest second. "Um, well I was thinking, how about Ti Amo?"

"Ti Amo?" I repeated. "You mean that really fancy Italian place off Route 212?"

"That's the place," Edward confirmed. "I can make us reservations for seven."

"Isn't that a little fancy for just dinner on a Monday night? I can always whip something up for us at my place, or if you want to go out we can go to that little place by your office."

"You're just trying to get out of wearing your jeans and a tee-shirt, aren't you?" He teased.

"No," I laughed, "I'm just thinking that Ti Amo is kind of fancy for just to two of us eating dinner after long workdays. I wouldn't mind picking up something simple."

"Well, it's too late for that. I already have the reservations."

I sighed, but kept the smile on my face. "Edward, you could have just told me that from the beginning."

I could hear the humor in his voice when he spoke again. "I could have, but then again, you could've just said yes the first time I asked."

"Touché."

I hung up a moment later to find Angela had finished her lunch, and was now leaning back in her chair watching me with interested eyes.

"Edward's taking me to dinner tonight. He's insisted we go to Ti Amo," I explained.

She raised her eyebrows ans whistled under her breath. "Ti Amo? Okay, but make sure you send me a picture of the ring tonight, unless you plan on wearing it here tomorrow."

I shot her a confused expression. "What ring?"

Angela stood up to throw out her garbage across the room. When she turned back in my direction she had her left hand raised and was waggling her ring finger at me.

She thought I was going to get engaged tonight? "What?"

I saw her roll her eyes. "Don't act so surprised, Bella. Ti Amo is, like, _the_ restaurant to get engaged at, if there ever was one. What with the dim lighting and the piano in the background with the million dollar entree and thousand dollar bottles of champagne."

"It's just dinner," I mumbled.

"Sure."

I finished up my lunch quickly, my phone conversation having definitely cut into my lunch time, and walked out of the room at the same time as Angela. "Oh, Bella, I forgot to mention, you have front desk this afternoon, from two-thirty on. The per diem nurse, Jessica, is scheduled to work this afternoon, so your patients will be covered. I have a doctor's appointment I have to get to in an hour, so someone needs to cover the desk."

"You got it, Ang."

I did one last check up on my patients just after their lunch was delivered. I had to say, for hospital food, it didn't look that bad. I was checking in on a patient who had come to our floor after a cardiac cath. I scanned the chart and familiarized myself with the patient. The procedure was done to insert a filter into the vena cava which prevents blood clots from the lower limbs from traveling to the heart or lungs and impeding blood flow.

I hooked up an oxygen tank for him, setting it at the proper percentage. Electrodes were already on his chest, so I attached the leads from the EKG monitor so that we could track his heart's rhythm constantly. I was taking a blood pressure to record in the chart when I saw Jessica poke her head through the doorway.

"Hi Bella! Just letting you know I'm here. Angela said she has to go, so as soon as you can get to the front desk. . ."

"Okay, I'm almost done. I just need another two seconds with this patient, and I can get there." I popped the ends of my stethoscope in my ears before she could start ranting about some meaningless thing that she did this weekend. She was known on our floor for being the chatterbox, and she needed constant reminders to get her work done. Jessica was not my favorite co-worker. Sure, she passed her exams and was okay at what she did, but sometimes it took more than that.

I recorded the number in the nurses' progress notes section of his chart, but left the cuff around his upper arm and unattached it from the manual gauge to the digital one. Our monitors were able to automatically inflate and deflate the blood pressure cuff every hour and adjust the numbers on the screen. Then this information was streamed to a main monitor at the front desk, where we could see each patient's vitals and catch any sudden changes.

I briskly walked down the halls to the front desk to relieve Angela. I could hear Jessica talking from here. Angela was packing up her things when I arrived. She looked up quickly.

"Oh, hey, Bella. Just in time, I'm leaving now."

"Alright, Ang. I hope everything goes well with your appointment. I have my cell if you need to call me," I assured her, even though I didn't know the specific nature of her appointment.

She smiled at me. "Thanks, Bella. I will."

She rushed off, and I gratefully sunk into the desk chair. I knew that Angela and her husband Ben were trying to get pregnant, so I assumed that's what her appointment was for, since she had mentioned they were having trouble. I really hoped she was able to conceive, because she would be an amazing mother. She always talks about her two younger brothers, twins, who she cared for when was younger. She loved children and has enough patience to deal with two teenage boys, so I'm sure she could handle anything.

It made me think of my future, and if it involved kids. Angela had once told me that she was always sure that she wanted kids. When she asked me, I answered honestly. I wasn't really sure. I was an only child, without any siblings, and my parents came from small families, so I never really was around younger kids. Edward and I had talked about it briefly; he came from a very close family, even though he and his two brothers were not blood related.

Although I wasn't sure what would happen down the line, kids were definitely not in our immediate future. I knew I wasn't ready, and Edward still had to finish school and establish himself in his career. I wanted us both to be secure in our jobs and lives before bringing children into the mix.

My afternoon went by slowly, but four o'clock finally rolled around, and the second shift staff were starting their shifts. Edward was picking me up around six, so I had a little over an hour to get ready. I showered quickly to get off that hospital smell that always clung to me after my shift and wrapped myself in a towel before scouring my closet for something to wear.

My closet wasn't extensive, so I didn't have much to choose from. It was nice to have to wear scrubs to work every day, I never had to think about what to wear. For dinner, it was another story. I pulled out a few pieces to try them on. By six, I had settled on a knee-length black bandage skirt and a royal blue blouse with ruffles down the front that I bought last season and had yet to wear. I let my naturally wavy hair air dry and fall at my shoulders. I pinned back my bangs and applied my usual small amount of makeup.

I was pulling on small heels when the doorbell rang. I snatched my purse and made my way downstairs to let Edward in.

"Hey." I reached up to give him a peck on the lips. His eyes shone as he took in my appearance, and I couldn't help but blush.

"You look beautiful, Bella," he said.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself," I teased, letting my eyes roam over his body. He was wearing black slacks and a simple white dress shirt. His bronze hair was in a disheveled heap on his head, as always.

He drove us to the restaurant in his Volvo, holding my hand over the gearshift the entire way. It was small things he did, like that simple gesture, which made me love him even more. We didn't need elaborate words and proclamations of love. Edward and I were simple, and we didn't need complicated expressions to show our love to one another.

"I didn't realize how hungry I was until we got here." My stomach grumbled after walking through the restaurant to our table, and after I smelled all the wonderful aromas of my favorite Italian dishes.

Edward chuckled and handed me a menu. "Well let's not delay Bella's dinner any longer then. I know how you get when you haven't eaten," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and accepted the menu, scanning each section. There were so many options.

"How did your day go?" I asked Edward after placing our orders with the waiter. I took a sip of the way too expensive bottle of champagne he insisted on.

"It was busy. I worked in the morning, catching up on things from the weekend. My lecture class today was horrendously boring, though."

I shrugged. "Happens. That's why I'm glad I only have two classes a week." My two classes were Wednesday and Thursday nights for two hours each. And that was enough for me.

"How are you liking them?" He inquired.

"They're interesting. I'm not sure how I could use them to get a job, though," I confessed.

"Really? You could get a lot of nice positions with a business background. Maybe even earn a promotion at the hospital to a supervisor's role or something."

"Maybe." I knew Edward would love it more than anything if I continued in the medical career, or kept my current position at the hospital, but of course he wouldn't tell me to do something I wasn't happy with.

Our food was set in front of us and for a few minutes it was quiet as we both ate.

"I spoke to Carlisle and Esme this morning," Edward told me. "It was nice to hear from them; we haven't seen them since last year."

"Oh, how are they doing?"

"They're doing great. My mother is doing her best to convince Alice and Jasper to stay with them permanently in the house in Forks." Jasper was Edward's other adopted brother, and Alice was his wife. They met in New York where Alice was working in the fashion industry. Jasper joined the army after high school and was in the service for a few years until being discharged. After that he spent his time traveling and found Alice in New York. They moved into the Cullen mansion, as I fondly named it, until they could find a place of their own.

"I'm sure she is. I don't think she would do well with an empty nest."

"Probably not. They told me to say hello to you, and that they miss you."

"I miss them, too. It's hard to be so far away from everyone." I thought of the Cullens at home with Jasper and Alice in Forks, but also of my father. I hoped he was taking care of himself. A pang of sadness and homesickness spread across my chest. "We should visit them soon."

A knowing smile flashed across Edward's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"I'm sure they would love that."

"Do you ever think of moving back there after you take the Bar exam and are finished with school?"

"Of course," Edward began. "I do love it here in Florida, but Forks is our hometown. It's a good place to raise a family."

"Raise a family?" I teased, moving aside to allow the waiter to collect our empty dinner plates. "Are you thinking long term Mr. Masen?"

He looked at me nervously and cleared his throat. I froze.

"Actually, Bella, I am. I'm thinking the longest term possible." He reached his hand under the table where I couldn't see. My eyes were glued to his. I watched his every move as he moved closer to me, out of his chair, and kneeled by my side of the table. I didn't think I was breathing.

"I want forever with you. I want to see you next to me every morning I wake up and every night before I got to bed. I love you, Bella. I want every day of forever with you." He took a shaky breath before holding out a shinning diamond ring. "Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

My hand went to my chest as I looked at the gorgeous ring in front of me, and the even more gorgeous man behind it.

My mind briefly went to Angela and her prediction from this morning; a small smile playing on my lips seeing that she was right.

Edward was looking up at me with expectant eyes. I noticed the entire restaurant seemed to fall silent and focus on us. I blushed at that thought, letting my hair fall around my face.

"Yes, Edward. I'll marry you."

Edward gathered me in his arms and placed a long, sweet kiss to my lips, causing our fellow restaurant-goers to break out in cheers. He slid the ring onto my finger and kissed it delicately. He left a wad of bills on the table; I didn't even look, and whisked us off to the car.

"I love you," he said with one more kiss before pulling out of the parking lot.

"I love you, too." Butterflies filled my stomach as I took another look at the ring which was now sitting heavily on my ring finger. It was stunning, yet simple – a single silver band with a large cut diamond in the center. I'm sure it cost more than my rent for a year.

Edward had asked me to marry him before, a few times, actually. The first time I thought he was joking. We were still in high school, and I was at his house one evening, just lounging in his bedroom. He even had a ring. I was completely floored, to say the least, especially when I found out he was serious. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of marriage, even to Edward, at the age of eighteen. My parent's example had taught me better than that.

Once I explained to him my reservations, he was understanding and backed off a little bit. The second time, he brought it up in casual conversation; I assumed it was due to fear of rejection like the time before. I had graduated school for nursing, and he had just told me about his idea of going to Florida. He wanted us to get married and go together. I insisted that we could wait, go to Florida and stay together without getting married first. It didn't feel like the right time.

I couldn't say no this time around. How many times could I say no before I pushed him away and lost him forever? I wouldn't be able to function without Edward; my life wouldn't the same in the slightest. So, I pushed away all my reservations associated with the word marriage, and agreed. After all, I knew I was going to be with him forever, and marriage just solidifies that commitment.

He drove us to his apartment, to my surprise. Maybe since this was a special occasion, he had planned on us spending the night together at his place. I mean, we did just get engaged after all.

I smiled widely and hurried towards the house. Edwards raised an eyebrow and laughed at my antics.

I was waiting for Edward to unlock the door, standing on the front step, when the door swung open. I must have jumped a foot in the air as Esme pulled me into a teary hug and congratulated me, and Carlisle patted Edward on the back.

"Congratulations!" They both said.

Okay, so they knew about the engagement. I thanked them, sneaking a glance at Edward. He looked so proud, and so happy in that moment that I couldn't help but smile back.

**What do you think? I would love to know, so please take a few seconds and leave a review!**


	4. What Do You Got?

**I'm going to be honest with you, this chapter is a little slow, and I know it. First of all, I know a lot of you hate me right now due to the lack of Jacob in this fic so far, and the fact that Bella and Edward are engaged. I don't like it either, but here's the thing: Bella is now seriously thinking about her future with Edward and if it's what she wants. So she's all confused and that's why this chapter is mostly her inner monologue. **It seems like she makes a decision at the end of this chapter, but in the next, Jacob shows up and all of her prior reasoning is shot to hell..**

**Again, I tweaked the medicine aspect of this story so it works for me, but I know some of it is off a bit.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, SM does. I also do not own the song this chapter is titled after. That belongs to Bon Jovi.  
Also, I send out a thank you to Katbug86 who beta'd this for me :)**

**What Do You Got?  
**_Everybody wants something,  
Just a little bit more...  
What do you got, if you ain't got love?  
Whatever you got, it just ain't enough._

Ch4

I was beyond exhausted by the time my head hit the pillow Monday night. I had absolutely no idea that Edward's parents were in town, or that he informed them of his plans to propose. Everything moved kind of fast after dinner – Carlisle and Esme celebrated with us, and then we Skype'd with Alice and Jasper. We could visibly see Alice bouncing in and out of the view of the camera as she flitted here and there with excitement.

I was able to smile back, but I couldn't muster up the amount of enthusiasm she seemed to have. She had ideas to go on for days. I thought back to her and Jasper's wedding a few years ago – big, lavish, and elegant; a beautiful ceremony and fantastic reception, but way too over the top for my taste. I let her chat on and on, nodding my head here and there. I wasn't ready to start planning specifics anytime soon.

Edward's proud smile was the only thing that kept me going through the evening, as well as the continual glasses of champagne. I held my ground during the whirlwind of Cullen excitement, although nearly lost it when Emmett came back to the apartment and squeezed me in a bear hug so tight I was seriously lacking oxygen.

The women squealed over the ring, and the men patted Edward on the back in congratulations. Everything seemed to move too fast. I sobered up pretty quickly, however, when Edward offered to use the laptop to Skype Charlie and Renee.

"Um, well…n-no, that's okay," I stammered, "I'd…I'd rather tell them in person, or at least over the phone. Besides, Renee and Phil are probably sleeping already, and Charlie doesn't have a computer." The Cullens shrugged it off and continued their small celebration.

I wasn't lying – Charlie for sure didn't know the first thing about my ancient computer sitting on my desk in my old room; I bet he couldn't even turn it on. And Renee, well, I'm sure she wouldn't mind me waking her up for news like this, I just wasn't sure I wanted to tell her. Or tell anyone, for that matter.

Edward was more than eager to let the world know; he would have called the whole city if I'd have allowed him to. I, on the other hand, didn't see the rush in letting everyone know right away. After all, it would be a while until we even starting planning this event, which I'm sure was going to be the party of the year if the Cullen's got their way – which they no doubt would.

"Well, you do want to marry the guy, right?" Rose asked me later that night. I texted Rosalie on the way back to my apartment, telling her to meet me there. Edward drove me home and kissed me goodnight sweetly before heading back to his own place, which he was now temporarily sharing with his parents.

"Yes, I want to marry him, I said yes, didn't I?" I responded, slightly annoyed and a little bit buzzed. I was changing in the bathroom as Rose sat on my bed and spoke through the door.

"Just checking."

I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and swiped the makeup off my face, lazily dragging myself towards the bed where Rose currently was. I sat crossed-legged facing her.

"So let's get this straight," she began. "Edward proposes, you say yes, he takes you to his place where he was secretly stashing his parents, you all party and his whole family knows, but you haven't told your parents."

I groaned. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"So you're gonna call them tomorrow?" She questioned.

"I don't know," I shrugged.

Rose threw her hands in the air. "You aren't planning on letting your parents know that their daughter – their only child – got engaged last night? When are you going to tell them? At the wedding?"

"I'm just not sure how I feel about all of this. I don't think they'll be happy about it."

"Why?"

"Well, I mean, I'm young, and marriage is so…so binding. Why do I need to get married now? I can still be with Edward and not get married."

Rose sighed. "Bella, you know I'm the worst person you could be getting advice from on this whole topic." She pointed her finger between the two of us. "Since I was sixteen I wanted nothing more to get married and have the perfect family and perfect house and perfect life. But look how that turned out. Now, I kind of agree with you. But you, you don't want to get married yet you have the perfect man with the perfect family and the perfect job, and all that leads to wonderful potential and a very, very promising future."

"I know it does, and I love Edward. When I think of marriage though – it just ruins things. Take my parents, for example. They were so in love and so crazy about each other, but then when they got married, they lost all of that."

"Could it be that they were just out of high school?" Rose sighed.

"Well, I've been with Edward since my junior year of high school. I don't know anything else."

Rose was quiet for a moment, thinking this over.

"Don't get me wrong," I continued, "I love Edward more than anything in the world and do want to be with him. But look at you, Rose. You're young, you're single, you're not settling down. I've been with one guy my whole life."

"That's not a bad thing," Rose said quietly.

"No, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I mean, Edward's good to me, very good to me, and I've never wished that I wasn't with him. But at the same time, Rose, I feel so sheltered. I feel like my whole world is Edward. I don't know anything else."

I didn't hear Rosalie's response, or if she had one at all, because I dove into slumber mere minutes after that. It felt like I had only gotten ten minutes of sleep before I had to wake up for work. Rose had already showered and was flipping through the clothes in my closet.

I heard her muttering under her breath, most likely from the lack of options she approved of. I pulled a set of scrubs out of a drawer and headed to the bathroom. "You can check my mom's closet. She has a ton of stuff you would fit into."

It took me much less time for me to get ready for work than it did Rose, so I was dressed and ready to go before her. I popped two bagels in the toaster and waited in the kitchen.

She sauntered in, eyes heavy with sleep, and I handed her a mug of coffee. I could tell she had, in fact, raided my mother's closet. She was wearing a fitted grey pencil skirt with a white button up blouse and wide belt cinched at the waist. I guess it was good my mother seemed to think she could still dress like a twenty-year-old.

Rose gave my left hand a pointed look as I handed her a toasted bagel. "Where's the rock?"

"I don't want to lose it at work. It can come off real easy when I'm taking off my gloves and stuff. I don't want it to end up in the biohazard bin somewhere."

Rose shrugged and dropped her mug in the sink.

"Thanks for coming over last night," I told her.

"No problem. I'd do it anytime you needed me Bella. God knows how many times you've been there for me." She smiled, gave me a gentle hug, and was through the door. I ate slowly, contemplating running back to my jewelry box and sliding the ring back on my finger, before finally decided against it; for the safe keeping of the ring.

Work was exhausting from the moment I stepped through the doors to the moment I drove away. Every patient decided to make my job difficult. Angela was fluttering around with paperwork trying to make up for yesterday, and even helping out with patients here and there. Jessica wasn't on call today, so I was left to deal with demands and complaints - which there were a lot of.

I had only a few minutes to eat something quickly, and during that time Alice called.

"Bella, I've got great news," she blurted before I said hello.

"Hey, Alice."

"I got in touch with Victoria, she's from that big event planning company, and I used her as my wedding planner. You met her; she's brilliant. I told her my brother was getting married and she totally agreed to do your wedding. And you're family of course, so she'll take good care of you."

What was I supposed to say to that? I had just gotten engaged last night; I figured we had some time to sort out the details. "Oh, thanks Al."

"No problem! I have her number, so I'll text it to you, and I already told her all about you, so she's waiting for the call. Don't give her a hard time Bella. You are going to have to wear a dress and look pretty, so don't even try to get out of this! Oh, and I looked up a bunch of venues and pulled some strings for these gorgeous places…"

She continued on, but I didn't hear much of what she had to say. Angela hurried in the break room and handed me paperwork on some patients and tests that had to be done, stat.

"Alice, I'm sorry but I have to go. I'm working, and it's busy today." I walked out of the room and down the hall toward my first patient.

She sighed. "Fine."

I was working on my last string of patience by four o'clock. Alice had texted me more wedding information in about three different messages, and Esme even called to ask if I had spoken to Alice. These women sure took their parties seriously. I had assumed we had time to plan this whole thing. After all, I hadn't gotten a moment alone with Edward since yesterday's dinner to discuss a timeline.

I didn't think the wedding was going to happen this year. We were both busy with work and continuing school, and I wanted us both to have that completed before taking the next step into marriage. Apparently, the Cullens' didn't feel that was necessary.

Edward had to work an evening shift, so once I got home I popped a frozen dinner into the microwave and changed into cotton pajamas. I needed some time to just unwind after the long and stressful day at the hospital, but unfortunately there were other things that needed to be done. I did a few loads of laundry and cleaned up the apartment while they were in the wash. I did some reading for my microeconomics class and folded the laundered clothes before slipping into bed.

I called Edward to see how everything was going, but didn't get much time to talk before my eyes were drifting closed. I wanted to ask him if he could get Alice and Esme to back off with the wedding specifics, but I didn't get the chance.

I was dragging at work on Wednesday. I think everyone noticed. Jessica and I were both on staff, so we split up rounds equally. Angela caught up to me on lunch hour.

"How did dinner go Monday night?" I forgot that I hadn't gotten a chance to catch up with her yesterday.

"It went well," I answered. "We had a nice time. The food was great."

She chuckled. "And?"

"And…" I exhaled, not realizing why I was so nervous, "Edward asked me to marry him."

"Aw, Bella! Congratulations, honey. That's great."

"Yeah, thank you."

"I'm sure the ring is beautiful," she commented. Of course Angela wouldn't come out and ask to see it, but I knew she wanted to.

"It is. I left it at home, though. I don't like wearing jewelry to work, you know, since we have to wear gloves and everything."

Angela nodded with a smile and her hand went instinctively to her neck, where a three-diamond ring was hanging on a simple silver chain along with a matching band. She turned her wedding ring into a necklace so she could wear it at work. Why didn't I think of that?

The phone rang and Angela paused before picking it up. Our calls to the front desk were conveniently transferred to the lunch room while we were on break.

I distantly heard her speaking to the person on the other line, but I wasn't paying much attention. I wiped off my section of the table and threw out the trash. The phone clicked and she stood up abruptly, mimicking my actions.

"Do you know where Dr. Riley went off too? They're trying to page him in to ER. Two high-risk emergency patients are on their way, and he needs to get down there."

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him."

She hurried back to her desk to page him directly as I made afternoon rounds. I ran into Jessica a few minutes before it was time to head home.

"Bella, did you hear what's going on downstairs? The ER is crazy right now! My friend Lauren, who is an ER nurse, was telling me two patients were flown in from Gainsville – they apparently have a whole crew with them; I've never heard the name but apparently they're-"

"Jess, I'm not an ER nurse. I don't need to know unless they stay on our floor and become patients of mine. Otherwise, it's not really my business." I smiled apologetically, hoping she didn't get the wrong idea. Jessica was office gossip, and sometimes she spread too much information for her own good. It got her into trouble by violating HIPPA, and she'd gotten reprimanded for it before. I wasn't about to get involved. Besides, if the patients being worked on in our hospital were big names, important people – I'd rather not know. A person is a person, and we all deserve equal care, especially in a medical setting.

Edward stopped by my apartment with Chinese take-out for dinner. I was grateful for that, since I usually didn't have time to cook Wednesday nights, between work and classes that began at eight.

I set us up with two plate settings and contently took the seat across from him at the table.

"I feel like I haven't seen you all week," I admitted. Even though it was only a day, I reminded myself. I guessed that was a good thing though- if we had only gone a day without seeing each other in person, and I had already missed him. Those are the kinds of feelings you have for a person you could spend every second of the rest of forever with.

Edward seemed to agree. "It has been busy. I feel like the phone never stops at work sometimes."

I sighed. "You have no idea. Between the phone at work and my cell phone," I laughed. "Have Alice and Esme been driving you crazy with all questions wedding related? They've asked me everything from veil or tiara to traditional or modern invitations. I don't even understand half of the things they talk about."

"You've already gotten started with planning?" Edward asked eagerly.

I grimaced. "Not really. Alice seems to think everything has to be done and decided as soon as possible. We haven't even been engaged a week yet!"

He laughed. "You know how Alice is. Jasper definitely has his hands full. I'm not sure how he survived his engagement. I'll have to ask him for tips."

"I've been meaning to ask you to speak with her, though. I really can't have her calling me five times a day to ask about wedding stuff," I admitted.

"I'll talk to her. You know she is just trying to help. Have you gotten any planning done yet?"

I took a bite of food before answering. "It's not that I don't appreciate the help, because lord knows I'm going to need it, but I don't think all of it has to be done right away."

"Some things need to be booked in advance, love. Especially if we want first pick as far as certain things go."

"Yeah, but how far in advance?" I asked. I had to admit I was nervous to hear his answer.

"I would say at least six months, or so. I'm sure that's why Alice wants to get a jump start on the important stuff."

"Six months?" I choked out. Edward looked at me, concern written on his face.

"We have to set a date first, of course. . ."

"Edward," I began, "how soon do you want to get married?"

"I'm ready, Bella, as soon as we can throw this thing together."

"Oh." I pushed around food on my plate, looking away from his glance.

"What are you thinking, love?" Edward asked.

I sighed, hoping this wouldn't come out the wrong way. "Edward, we've only been engaged for two days. I'm not exactly ready to start picking out linens and invitations and music. I do want to marry you, and I'm not taking back my answer, but I think we should wait a little longer to actually get married."

If Edward was surprised, it didn't show on his face. "Do you have a specific time in mind when you say 'a little longer'?"

"Not exactly," I shrugged. "I do think it's best that you finish up school first and pass your exams and everything. And I'll get this business degree that I'm working on. Then we can figure out the rest."

"Bella ...I have almost two years left before I can take the bar exam. And you have, what is it, another year to get your associate's?"

"Yes, that sounds about right." I was too embarrassed to face him, worried for what his reaction would be. I stood up and took my half empty plate to the sink. I busied myself with running the water over it until it was spotless.

I felt Edward come up and lean on the counter beside me, forcing me to acknowledge him. I took a breath and faced him.

"What's the matter? You're acting so shy with me, Bella," he observed.

"I just – I don't want you to get the impression that I don't want to marry you - because I do. But we just got engaged, and then the next day I have your mother calling me and Alice asking me about this and that, and it's all just too much at once."

Edward sighed and pulled me close, leaving a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't see how overwhelming that is. I'll ask them to give us some time to just enjoy being engaged."

"Thank you," I said quietly. Edward took the plate I was still holding out of my hands, and gently nudged me out of the way.

"Go get ready for class. I'll clean up dinner, okay?" I smiled and thanked him, hurrying to shower quickly before throwing on some clothes to get to class. I hadn't realized how time had gotten away from us during our conversation.

Everything was clean in the kitchen by the time I made my way out of my bedroom, dressed in casual jeans and Edward's college sweatshirt. Edward took in my appearance appreciatively, his smile widening as he glanced over the shiny new ring on my left hand.

"You have no idea how amazing it is to see that on you," he told me. He came closer and enveloped me in a hug. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too." He kissed me once more before he gathered up his things and walked me out. His car was parked next to mine. We pulled away one after the other, and I headed to class.

I took a seat where I normally did, next to Bree, Jane, and Lauren. We were all around the same age, so we revolved together when the class had first started. But age had nothing to do with maturity, thus we were on different levels. They were all nice enough, though, so we tolerated each other.

Of course the first thing they noticed was the ring. "Somebody had a good weekend!" Lauren called, turning attention to the ring.

"Oh my God, Bella! That's beautiful!" Jane grabbed my left hand roughly closer to her face to admire the sparkle.

"Congratulations," Bree said.

"Thank you." They pumped me for details, so I told them the when, where, and how of the proposal as they sighed and awed in the background.

Tonight's lecture was long and more on the boring side than usual. I allowed my thoughts to wonder a bit, thinking of the wedding looming in my future. If I thought hard enough, I could see it in a good light -Edward looking delicious in a black tux, myself covering in a long and flowing white gown, flowers and lights around us. A romantic first dance, words of wisdom from my mother, followed by a gorgeous and flawless reception.

It would no doubt be very, very beautiful if I let it happen, if I let my unreasonable guard down when marriage was involved. Edward and I were not my parents. We wouldn't make the same mistakes they did; we've been together much longer than they had before getting married. I had to ignore those instincts and doubts and let myself enjoy a life with Edward.

Which I was now fully committed and ready for. After all, he was perfect and there was no way I was letting him go. What was more important than having him in my life? Sure, he was the only guy I had been with, but that didn't mean I have to try out every other guy to make sure I have the right one.

Looking at these girls I shared a classroom with, I was more assured of my decision than ever. They were my age, and they were experiencing single life. But none of them were happy, really. They went from guy to guy, usually ones that treated them like crap, and used them, then were gone the next week. They went out, got as drunk as possible, and posted sloppy, embarrassing pictures on their online profiles. From time to time I felt myself envying them, but for what? What good could come out of my life going down that path? I wasn't missing out on anything.

**And there you have it. Not very exciting, I know, and no Jacob :( But there are doubts in Bella's head, and those are going to keep on coming back up until something changes. Which is soon..  
Leave a review and let me know what you think !**


	5. Chemicals React

**Yes, Jacob is in this chapter. I know we've been waiting for him. Be patient with Bella, she doesn't know how to handle any of this.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, and I don't own the song 'Chemicals React' (Aly and AJ)  
Thank you to Katbug86, who beta'd this :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Ch5 **Chemicals React  
****  
**_You make me feel out of my element  
Like I'm walking on broken glass.  
Like my world's spinning in slow motion  
And you're moving too fast._

We were either too busy to bat an eye or so slow I was bored to tears. Today, at the hospital, was one of those crazy-busy days. I hadn't received much of a break, and by the end of the day, I was spent. I was tending the front desk most of the day since Angela had off. I was billing patients, registering information, filing charts, looking for misplaced charts, and fending phone calls from other departments all morning long. Thankfully I was relived of that when the second shift receptionist came in.

I was visiting with the last patient on my rounds for the Friday afternoon, documenting notes in her chart for the next nurse on shift, when one of the doctors pulled me aside. They were transferring a patient from intensive care, since he had been stable for long enough. He said there was a huge commotion outside in my waiting room – his friends and family, anxious for details.

He briefed me on the patient while walking in the direction of the waiting area. "Twenty-two-year-old male suffered trauma after a car accident; moderate second-degree burns on his legs, minor concussion, broken clavicle. Large extent of burn area caused shock and fluid loss. Observed in ICU for twenty-four hours for signs of head trauma; in stable condition, being transferred to a regular room, visitors permitted. Talk to the family and then report to room 304 to get this patient settled. Thanks."

I took the chart from the doctor's hands and scanned through the pages to make myself more familiar with his condition. I hated having to do the doctor's dirty work, although at least I was conveying good news to this family. I glanced at the face sheet quickly to find a name before being bombarded by the concerned relatives.

My breath caught in my throat. It couldn't be.

Jacob Black was at this hospital. And he was now a patient of mine.

I was frozen in my steps for a moment, trying to regain my bearings. I just saw him less then a week ago! I guess it goes to show you that no one is immune to unforeseen occurrence; how quickly a healthy life can be taken by accident. At least Jacob seemed to have dodged a bullet there.

I wasn't sure how this was going to work. I had seen Jacob at the races and simply standing next to him made my nerves go wild. Now I was supposed to be the attending nurse?

There must have been a crowd of fifteen people huddled together in the waiting area who all stood up when I called for the family of Jacob Black.

An older man in a wheelchair was rolled over towards me by a young man. "Yes?" I put on what I hoped was a comforting smile.

"Are you all immediate family to Mr. Black?" I asked as politely as possible. A few of the bigger guys stepped back a foot, although they remained focused on me. They looked intimidating – all with dark hair, big muscles, tanned skin, and six-foot tall frames.

"I'm his father," the man in the wheelchair told me. He held out his hand. "Billy. Are you one of Jake's doctors?"

"No, but I'm a nurse here, and Dr. Kessler informed me of your son's condition. I'll be attending to him during his time here," I informed Billy. "My name is Bella." My voice was shaky from nerves, but I couldn't tell if it was nerves due to this large group in the room, or nerves from the realization that I would be face to face with Jacob Black again - for longer than two minutes.

"So what's going on?" Billy asked. I saw the concern written all over his weathered face, and I felt myself begin missing my own father.

"Jacob is being transferred to a private room on this floor, where we will keep him until the doctor allows him to be released. It's a step in the right direction, I can assure you, because his condition has been stable enough to get him out of twenty-four hour observation. The doctor will be able to give you more information soon. Jacob can have visitors, but not just yet. We'll have to make sure he's all set up and comfortable first. "

"Thank you, Bella."

I hurried to find room 304 to assist Dr. Kessler, my stomach in knots at what I would find there. _He's just another patient,_ I chanted to myself.

I averted my glance and looked directly at Dr. Kessler when I walked in the room, taking another steadying breath. There were two other staff members who were lifting the patient onto a more permanent bed, being careful of his burned legs. I snuck a peak – second degree burns were not pretty.

I informed the doctor that the patient's family was up to date and spoken to.

"Okay, thank you. If you don't mind, before you leave, just take the initial vitals and have one of the nurseshook up a normal saline drip through an IV. You can attach him up to the monitors. I wrote the prescription for pain killers and an antibiotic, and the other orders are in the chart, too." He handed me the slip of paper and Jacob's chart.

As I read over the order, Dr. Kessler spoke to the patient, who was now all set up in the bed. "Okay, Jacob. Everything looks good for now. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," I heard him laugh. It was a beautiful sound.

"Well," the doctor continued, "we're going to finish getting you all set up here. My nurse is going to take good care of you. Your family has filled up my waiting room – they're all eager to see you."

"Okay, Doc. Thanks."

Dr. Kessler nodded at me before leaving the room, just behind the two men from transport, which left me alone with my patient. I looked down at the chart, stalling for another few seconds, and gave myself a mental pep talk. _Just another patient._

I walked over to the bedside and set down the chart. "Hello, Mr. Black. My name is Bella; I'm the current charge nurse for this floor. I'll just need to see your armband," I said, gesturing for him to lift his arm up. I doubled check his patient information with shaky hands.

I looked at his face to find him staring at me with furrowed brows. I smiled gently and hurried to finish my work. I wheeled over the cart holding a blood pressure cuff and pulse ox.

"Bella?" He asked. "Bella as in the Bella who I met at the races last weekend?"

I flushed. "Yes." I was both impressed and thrilled that he recognized me. Out of the hundreds of faces of fans that he sees every weekend at the races, he remembered me!

A wide grin spread across his face. "No way!"

I nodded and smiled – his happiness was infectious. "I just have to take a blood pressure on you, and then this little thing goes on your finger. . ."

"Oh yeah, sure, sure." He lifted up his good arm, and I clipped the device to his finger, allowing the machine to do its job. Carefully I pushed up the loose sleeve of his gown and wrapped the Velcro cuff around his bicep. I frowned realizing it was going to be too small. It was attached to the adult cuff, but it was not going to cooperate and properly fit around that smooth, toned muscle. _Focus, Bella!_

Thankfully, I didn't have to go far to find a new one. I strapped it around his arm and waited. Afterwards, I recorded the numbers in the proper place in his chart and unattached him.

"So you work here?" He asked.

_Obviously,_ I wanted to say. "Yes, I do."

"Do you like it?"

"It's interesting," I replied. I pushed the cart away once I had all the information I needed, and pulled a thermometer from the equipment cabinet. "Under your tongue," I instructed. It was quiet for a moment while he held the thermometer in his mouth and stared up at me.

It beeped a few seconds later, and I threw the sheath out in the biohazard garbage before placing the thermometer back in the cabinet. I felt Jacob's eyes on me as I walked around the room, but it wasn't making me uncomfortable like other patients sometimes made me. It gave me sort of an adrenaline rush; I was flattered.

"Just one more thing before I go, and then you can rest. And your family will be allowed in. I'm going to stick some electrodes on you and hook you up with some wires. It'll allow the nurse on the next shift to have a constant monitor of your heart's activity."

After slowly opening the clasps of the gown from his shoulders, working around the sling from his broken collarbone, I pulled it down to reveal his chest. I flushed red, praying that the hair falling around my face would conceal my colored cheeks.

Even with the sling around his bruised shoulder, his chest and abdomen were tight and toned, boasting a six pack that could only come from dedication to the gym. I realized Jacob was talking to me again, so I tried to listen as best I could.

"I think it's so funny that we ran into each other again. But hey, third times a charm, right?" He chuckled.

"Unfortunately, it's not under better circumstances," I heard myself say with a smile.

"True."

I was trying to think of something to say, a witty comeback or a funny remark to rival his flirty spirit. I couldn't think of anything. "So what happened to you anyway?" I asked.

"It wasn't my fault!" He laughed, raising his good arm in innocence. "We were doing qualifiers for the tournament this weekend. I don't remember much, but I've been told that the guy I was racing lost control of his car and went sideways, into me. I was still going straight, but at those speeds, the impact wasn't pretty. They haven't figured it out for sure yet, but I think it was an engine malfunction, since his engine pretty much exploded and lit the car on fire, where he crashed into me – hence, the burns. They flew me to Jacksonville because of the burn center or something."

"Ouch. I'm sorry." I clipped on leads and glanced at the monitor to see if everything was in place. The tracing looked normal, so I pulled the gown up around his arms and over the wires.

"It happens. I'll be alright."

"Well, you have a good attitude about it. A lot of patients come in here and become so depressed."

Jake shrugged with his one good shoulder. "I don't let little things bother me. And in my case, it wasn't anything too serious. Besides hurting like hell," he laughed, "but I'll survive."

"When did this happen?"

"Wednesday morning."

"Oh. So you were the patient from the ER all the nurses were gossiping about," I teased. I knew after reading his chart, that Jacob was one of two patients transferred here from Gainesville.

Jacob chuckled and looked a little shy. I wondered if he was used to women falling all over him. "Were they? Good things, I hope."

"I'd say it was good things," I answered.

"Like what?" He pressed.

I made my voice sound like Jessica's and batted my eyelashes while fanning myself. "Oh my God, he's so hot! He'd better get assigned to my floor so I can be his nurse!"

Jacob starting laughing and I realized that I actually just did that. I laughed along with him, but it was more from embarrassment.

"So did I live up to the expectation?" He asked.

My face felt hot again under his stare. The obvious answer was yes, _hell yes, _but I couldn't give it away that easy. Besides, it would be moving way beyond the nurse-patient limits, and I didn't want to go there. "We'll see."

I doubled checked everything and scribbled my final notes in the chart. I reminded myself to tell the nurse about the IV on my way out. "Okay," I smiled and clasped my hands together. "All set. I won't be back until Monday, but another nurse will be in shortly. Is there anything you need or any questions you have for me?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. I have a question."

"What's that?" I asked.

"You still got that boyfriend?"

I wasn't prepared for that particular question. And I didn't correct him when he said boyfriend, though I technically had a _fiancé _now -who I hadn't thought about once during my whole exchange with Jacob.

I nodded with a small, but uncomfortable smile.

"Oh." He looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but then a playful smile dominated his features. "That's a shame."

I giggled and narrowed my eyes at him, but couldn't wipe the smile from my lips. "Excuse me?"

"I figured. An amazing girl like you would be taken already. And he's a smart guy not to let you go."

"Thank you," I said quietly. I saw a nurse clad in bright scrubs flash by the room who I recognized to be Kate. That meant I was free to go home. "Have a good night. I hope you feel better."

Jacob thanked me as I left the room. I gathered my things and sighed in the revelation that it was now officially the weekend.

Rose was coming to my place after her shift, and then we were meeting Edward and Emmett at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants before going to a movie. It was kind of like a double date, save for the fact that Emmett and Rose weren't dating – yet. I was still holding out hope that eventually Em would break through her walls. She was too good of a girl to be scarred so badly by one experience with a loser guy, and Emmett was perfect for her.

Rose had been giving me updates on that situation. They weren't dating, but they talked occasionally. Like old friends. Except they weren't really friends. I didn't understand it – it was unconventional compared to my by-the-book relationship. But that's how she explained it to me, and that's how I referred to it.

Rose waltzed herself through the door about an hour after I had gotten home. I was already showered and dressed, but I knew I would probably be changing my outfit if Rosalie had anything to do with it. I was wearing a navy laced tank with khaki colored pants and blue ballet flats. The outfit seemed appropriate to me – it was just dinner and a movie.

"Hey!" I called from the kitchen.

"Hey, Bella." She looked like she had just come from work.

"Long day?"

She sighed. "You have no idea how annoying wanna-be big shots with uncalled-for egos can be."

"I can imagine."

Rose dropped her keys and purse on the counter. I saw a duffel bag and prayed that she had brought her own change of clothes so we would not have to spend an extra hour trying to get ready while she attempted to throw out all my old tee shirts and ripped jeans as she sifted through the hangers of clothes in my closet.

She hurried into the shower as I lounged on the couch flipping through channels. There were a million channels that I never even watched. I grew bored trying to find something semi-interesting, and my mind drifted.

It drifted to one patient at the hospital in particular. I frowned, feeling guilty for even thinking about him. But questions were swirling in my head. Why was it different from any other good-looking patient I'd given care to? Sure, he was somewhat of a celebrity, to me at least, although no common person on the streets would know his name.

And what was with the excited nerves and sort of rush that I felt when I was around him. I didn't even know Jacob; and I was completely in love with Edward – the man I was going to marry.

I tried to stress this to my brain and hoped that logic and reality would set in and my heart will stop its childish crushing. That's what it was after all- _childish_. The fact that I didn't know much about Jacob, and that I found him intriguing was probably clouding my mind. It's like when you first get to know someone. When I first met Edward I got that excitement and anticipation of where things were going, what was going to happen next.

I couldn't have feelings for someone like Jacob, someone I didn't even know. Someone who knew nothing about me. It was just flattering to feel the way being around him made me feel. It was nice to feel desired; it was nice to share that playful, innocent banter. And, I'd admit it, maybe it was also a little bit of lust.

However, none of that compared to what I felt for Edward. All of those things were just fleeting notions that meant nothing. I didn't know what kind of guy Jacob was; he probably acted that way with all girls, and here I was giving it way more thought than necessary. Was he thinking about me right now? I seriously doubted it.

"The guys aren't here yet?" Rose relaxed into the couch seat beside me. Her hair was damp and in its natural wavy curl. I was surprised she was wearing something as simple as dark blue skinny jeans and a loose fitted tee shirt, although it probably cost more than half of what was in my closet.

"Should be any minute." It was nearing seven already, so I was sure Edward and Emmett would walk in any second. Edward hated being late, even by a minute.

"How are things going?" Rose asked. If she was referring to me having a breakdown about getting married to Edward, I wasn't in the mood to continue that conversation. I wanted that whole thought process in my mind to just disappear. Or if that was a reference to my job, I couldn't exactly tell her that Jacob Black was now occupying a room on my floor, as well as occupying some room in my mind. Or maybe I was over thinking it way too much.

"Good. Work has been busy, and Edward and I are okay. I worked things out," I told her.

"So the wedding's on?" She teased.

"Yeah, it's next weekend, can you make it?"

She laughed. "Oh, please, Bella. I know you're joking. Surely you would have told the maid of honor the date of the wedding." I saw her give me a sly look.

"Must have slipped my mind," I teased. I was glad everyone was busy planning my wedding for me. Alice picked the location and decor, Esme had invitations ready to be printed up and the list of names to send them to, and Rosalie had just declared herself maid of honor. I sighed, not allowing my mind to wander in that direction. The doorbell rang, and I jumped up to answer it, grabbing my purse on my way to the door.

Rosalie chased after me. "That's really not funny, you know!"

I swung open the door and threw myself into Edward's arms. He laughed softly and held me up as I placed a deliciously sweet kiss to his lips. I was happy to get the weekend started and focus on family and friends rather than meaningless encounters and strangers. It was time for a resolution of sorts.

"Miss me?" Edward asked.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course." I took his hand and he led us all to his car. Rosalie glared at me when I insisted she and Emmett could both sit in the back.

"Just sit with him, Rose," I whispered fiercely to her. "He's not going to bite you; I barely saw Edward this week!"

"It's a fucking ten minute ride in a car, Bella! It's not like you can't look at him or talk to him from the backseat!" She countered.

"Can't you just-"

Edward cut me off mid sentence. "Bella, would you mind hopping in the back with Rosalie? Em's too big for the backseat."

I wasn't sure if Edward heard the hushed conversation I was having with Rose. By the looks of a confused Emmet standing between the open passenger door and open backseat door, I knew they probably did.

"Sure," I responded sweetly before sliding in and tugging Rose roughly in with me. I hoped she heard what I was muttering under my breath. Emmett was still holding the door open on his side of the car.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I really don't mind sitting in the back if you want to switch, Bella."

"I'm sure you don't," Rose grumbled. Emmett averted his glance.

"It's fine, Em. Just get in," Edward instructed.

"Can we just get there already? I'm starving," Rose whined.

I turned towards the window and watched the scenery as Edward drove us into the town. All of this grumpiness wasn't helping keep me in that great mood I set out to have.

The beginning of dinner was quiet; I think even the waiter felt awkward when he handled our table and noticed the tension. Rosalie and I rarely ever fought, never over anything serious. But she could be so damn stubborn and immature. I wasn't going to cave first.

Edward tried to make small talk but became increasingly more frustrated with the one word answers he was receiving. Emmett darted glances between me and Rose, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to get on Rose's bad side, but he didn't have any reason to be mad at me.

The silence continued throughout dinner, so all of us refused dessert. Edward placed a card with the check that covered us, and I didn't notice if he accepted any money from Rosalie or Emmett. Probably not. Rose excused herself to get to the ladies' room before we left. Emmett looked uncomfortable standing there with me and Edward. He mumbled something about having to use the restroom also.

Edward and I were standing in front of the building, waiting for them to come out so we could catch the movie we'd agreed on.

"Bella," Edward started, "was it really necessary to make a big deal out of who sat where in the car? It was horrible in there! What's the point of going out to dinner if no one is going to talk?"

My lips pressed into a firm line. I was fighting with Rose already, I did not want to be in a fight with Edward by the end of the night, too. "I didn't make a big deal out of it. Rosalie didn't want to sit with Emmett, but that's not my problem. I wanted to sit with my boyfriend. She's the one who turned it into a big deal. You're going to blame me?"

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a habit he had whenever he grew frustrated. "I'm not blaming anyone, Bella. I just think you could have handled it better. My brother, if you haven't noticed, is a lot bigger than you, and the right thing to do is to offer him the front seat, so all of us could be comfortable."

"Fine," I grumbled under my breath.

"Please apologize to Rose when she comes out, for all of our sakes."

"What do you mean apologize to Rose? Why should I say sorry to her? She should be-"

"Bella. This is childish and completely unnecessary. You're a grown woman and you're fighting with your best friend over a seat in the car. It's not exactly mature. If you still want to be mad at her, fine. But at least apologize and be the better person so that we can all enjoy our night."

I nodded but didn't respond. He pulled me into a hug and placed a kiss to my forehead. Rosalie and Emmett came out and we headed to the movies. Edward kept glancing at me from the rearview mirror, and motioned for me to talk to Rose. I would, but not in front of everyone in the car.

Emmett had chosen the movie – it was a sequel to an action flick that I didn't think I'd seen. He insisted that Rose and I would like it because it was a love story too, one between the main characters.

An hour into the movie and I had yet to see the love story. I was sitting between Edward and Emmett, with Rose on the opposite side of Em. My hand was in Edward's, and he stroked it absentmindedly with his fingers. I was trying to focus on the movie but it was hard to get into the intense action and complicated plot. Plus, I hadn't seen the first installment, so none of it made sense.

I peeked over at Rose and Emmett. Em's eyes were focused on the screen, the reflection of light from it casted his face in a white glow. I smiled when I saw that his hand was resting on the armrest between him and Rose, his palm open and facing up, like he was waiting for Rosalie to hold his hand. I covered my snicker with a cough.

Rose turned her head my way then, and shot me a radiant smile. It seemed she too had been looking at his hand. She caught my gaze and rolled her eyes, leaning in closer to Emmett. I saw him shift a little and quickly glanced at Rose, but then returned his attention to the movie. He either was really into the film or wanted to act as if he was uninterested.

Rose smirked and winked at me; I knew she was up to no good. "Watch," she mouthed to me. With her other hand, she took hold of her large soda, which was dripping on the outside with cold water droplets. Swiftly, in one fluid motion, she plopped the drink down in Emmett's open palm and sat back in her chair; her chest shook with laughter.

Emmett jumped in his chair and gasped at the surprising cold sensation. He looked at Rose and me with a confused expression on his face, unsure of how he was now holding a drink that wasn't in his hand a moment ago. Neither of us took a glance back at him. He set the drink on the floor with a shrug, and continued watching the movie.

Rose and I couldn't hold it in anymore, and we burst out with laughter. Other movie-goers around us shushed us and yelled for us to be quiet. Edward wanted to know what was so funny. I squeezed his hand before getting up and excusing myself with Rose behind me.

Once safely outside the theater, we were free to laugh as much as we wanted. I was wiping tears from my eyes.

"Priceless," Rose said.

"You are my hero," I joked.

She hugged me tightly. "Let's not waste any more time fighting," she promised.

"I agree. Let's go see if that horrendous movie is over yet."

We crept through the dark theater to our seats, but I tripped going up the stairs, and Rose began cracking up again when she saw that I was okay -which angered some more people. They hushed us, and I heard someone yell 'shut up'.

"Oh, hush yourself!" Rose yelled back.

"Rose!" I scolded, although I couldn't keep a straight face because it was quite a hilarious scene: Rose yelling through the dark with some guy who was intensely involved in the movie.

"What?" She asked, sounded annoyed. "This is a stupid movie anyway." That earned us some more glares. I had just gotten up from where I landed on the floor when firm hands were tugging me toward the exit. I made out Edward's face through the dark. I heard Rose protesting when Emmett tried the same.

She smacked him on the arm. "I can walk myself!"

The car ride home was entertaining, at least, for Rose and I, who made fun of the people in the theater. Edward and Emmett rolled their eyes at our antics, glad, I'm sure, that we were back to being friends.

**Review, please! Thoughts about Jake and his exchange with Bella? Or about Edward's or Bella's behavior on their date? There are little things about how he acts that will be contrasted with how someone else acts. See if you can pick up on them :)**


	6. Sweet Dreams

**Okaay, here's chapter 6.  
Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. Also, to anyone who reviews from this chapter forward-I'll be sending out a teaser for the next chapter if you're interested.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Twilight, nor the song of this chapter title, which belongs to Beyonce.  
And as always, a big thank you to my great beta, Katbug86.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Ch6 **Sweet Dreams  
**_When I close my eyes  
I'm going out of my head  
You could be a sweet dream,  
or a beautiful nightmare  
Either way I don't want to wake up from you_

I woke up Sunday morning with a start. Damp with sweat and out of breath, I struggled to remember what it was that caused me to be in that state.

I grew frustrated when I couldn't recall what my dream had been about. My body was flushed, and it was hot and uncomfortable beneath the sheets. I peeled them off myself and got out of bed. I swore when the clock read eight o'clock. It was too early to be up on a Sunday morning.

Regardless of the time, I was in desperate need of a shower. I stepped into the bathroom, turned on the spray of warm water, and undressed. I leisurely squirted shampoo into my hand and ran it through my hair. My fingers caught in a knot, and I felt the resulting tug at my scalp. I gasped as my dream came back to me in flashbacks.

_My body writhing against another's in pleasure. Hands fisted in my hair, tugging in passion. Blissful moans and screams coming from my own mouth. Arms and legs tangled in the bed sheets. _

The feeling was so intense and raw, it seemed almost real. I was frozen in the shower as my mind went over each detail - the sensation of my fingers grasping shaggy black hair, the depth of his dark eyes.

I sucked in a breath. I'd had a sex dream about Jacob Black!

_Why would I be dreaming of him? Especially in such an intimate way! _My face flushed even though no one else knew my private thoughts. _Did my dream mean something? Should I be concerned that I was having a dream like that about someone other than my fiancé? And was it bad that I kind of was curious and turned on?_

The water dropped a few degrees, and I hurried to finish my shower. I rinsed out my hair and stepped out. I did my best to waste time while drying my hair and getting dressed. It was still early, and our usual Sunday custom was to get brunch at eleven -I had plenty of time.

Rosalie called me when I was hopping into my car.

"Hey, Rose. What's up?"

"Morning. Are you busy later?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to breakfast, and I'll have to see if Edward had anything he wanted to do today."

"Well, we're going to get drinks around six at LaLa's. Can you come?"

"Who's we?"

"Whoever shows up," Rose said. "I asked some people from work, I don't know if you remember Tanya or Riley. And Emmett's going to come."

"You're going out with Emmett?" I squealed.

Rose sighed. "It's a group!" She insisted.

"Uh-huh," I teased her.

"Send me a text later if you can make it."

"I will, Rose. Thanks."

Brunch with Edward was like every other Sunday we shared. We sat at the corner table in the back and ordered the same thing we always ordered: three cheese omelet for myself, and French toast for Edward.

He was telling me about his week, and I tried to keep up. Sometimes all of the legalities and lawyer terms went right over my head, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I was able to get the gist of the story for the week -Edward was picked to be a contributor on a big case, and he was praised for his work.

"You always do well, Edward. I knew you would. I'm proud of you," I said.

"Thanks. And how about you? How was the rest of your week?"

"Um," I stumbled. "It was pretty uneventful."

"Are you still enjoying your business classes?" He inquired.

I shrugged. "It's interesting enough to keep my attention."

"Good."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Rose called me earlier; she is going out with some friends to this bar LaLa's for drinks later. Do you want to go?" I tried to gauge the reaction on his face. "Emmett's going to be there," I added as an afterthought.

"That's nice he and Rose are getting along well enough. Has she said anything about him?" As much as I would love to push Em and Rose closer together, gossiping about their feelings for one another with Edward was not what I wanted to do. I considered what Rose told me to be private; if she wanted Edward to know she would have told him.

"Well, they're going to the same place, so I guess they can stand each other enough to be in close proximity," I joked. "They will be there at six."

Edward grimaced. "I don't think I can, Bella, sorry. I have a test coming up, and I haven't had a spare minute to study all week. I was thinking we could just hang out at my place. You should go with them though, if you want."

I was not excited by the idea of sitting around watching Edward study all afternoon. "Well, what if we only go for an hour or two? It's still early; you have a while to study. And then you can review some more afterwards."

"Bella-"

"C'mon, Edward. Seriously, how much do you honestly need to study? I'm positive you already memorized all of the material and are going to ace the test like you always do. You can't give up a few hours?"

"I wish I could, love, but it's a very important test, and I'd like to prepare as much as I can. I don't mind if you go, but there's no way I'd be able to. I need to do well in these classes so I can graduate and we can start our lives together." He grasped my hand in his from across the table. "I'm only thinking of our future. This is for the benefit of both of us."

I sighed, confused and frustrated with myself. I had never been the type of girl to go out or drink, but lately I'd been feeling more and more caged in. And Edward was unselfishly thinking of bettering our lives. He was leagues ahead of other guys his age in the maturity department and that was more important.

I had an amazing guy who had never cheated on me or treated me badly; he had goals, ambitions, a job, potential. Why would I ever want to give that up?

Yet, at the same time, another part of me wondered if I was too dependent on Edward. I had built my life and made my choices around his own. I didn't have a future laid out besides the one that he planned for us- although the future he had in mind was wonderful. But I never thought solely of myself.

Did I want to be a nurse, did I want to find a career in business? I had no idea. I never sat down and honestly considered what _Bella _really wanted to do. Nursing was a last-minute thing, and I was enrolled in business because the school was close to Edward's. I did enjoy it, but I wasn't sure if it was completely for me.

Compared to other girls, I was still so young, so naïve, so inexperienced. I hadn't done half of the things they talk about. I'd never even been to a club. Sure, Edward took me to the prom and we went to nice parties, but it was different. Some voice inside of me was constantly nagging me, questioning whether I was settling or not. I was happy, there was no doubt about that, but could I be happier?

During the week when I went to my classes, I heard the other girls talking about their weekend adventures, their weekend 'conquests'. Usually they drank too much and went home with strange guys who they never saw again.

I knew I would never drink so much I couldn't remember what happened, and I was not the type of girl to sleep around, but was there a medium? Could I have a great guy and experience what everyone else was?

My head was starting to hurt.

I followed Edward back to his house after texting Rose that we weren't going to make it to drinks. I was still a little disappointed, but I didn't want to bring it up again with Edward.

His apartment was quieter than usual with Emmett out for the day and the Cullens back in Forks. Edward plopped himself on the couch with a pile of books and papers while I cuddled next to him best I could. I put the television on the lowest volume setting and tuned it to the Food Network.

It may not have been the most productive studying strategy but it kept both of us busy.

Edward took a break around four in the afternoon to pop in a movie and munch on some snacks. It was one of those romantic comedies that was girly enough for me, yet funny enough that Edward didn't mind watching it. It was the same old story that had been done a hundred times – you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.

As the credits began to roll, Edward lowered the volume and pushed aside the empty plates. He pulled me close to him and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

"I love you so much, Bella. I don't know what I would do without you; you're my whole world," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. He tugged on my hand, and I allowed him to lead me to his bedroom where we spent the next hour enjoying the fact that Emmett was out and we had the place to ourselves.

It was dark outside when I woke up. I was alone and wrapped up in the thick comforter on top of Edward's king-sized bed. It took me a moment to get my bearings. I yawned and stretched out my body, taking note that it was almost ten.

"Edward?" I called out. I dug around under the covers for a few moments looking for the clothes that I kicked off and discarded, but they weren't tangled in the sheets.

"What's up?" Edward asked, popping his head through the cracked doorway.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry, love, but I didn't want to wake you up. I was doing some work in the other room." He looked warily at the sheet that I was using as a dress and chuckled. "Dresser," he stated.

Across the room on top of the dresser were my clothes, all piled up neatly and folded. "Oh, I was looking for those," I laughed.

I hung out with Edward a little longer, but a continuous frown played across my face. It felt nice to spend some alone and intimate time with Edward, but it was different than usual. I had to put effort forth to try and enjoy myself. I hadn't been in the mood to be with Edward, but didn't want to turn him down because that would lead to a discussion I didn't want to have. He didn't even notice that I wasn't into it, and if he did he didn't say anything.

Edward moved his studies to the kitchen where he could spread all his books out around him. I quizzed him on the material that he asked me to, but after a while it become more than I could handle.

"You look bored," he noted.

"Sorry. I just don't know anything about this stuff and it's not interesting to me at all. I'm kind of tired, too."

"You don't have to stay, love. I could probably get more studying done on my own anyway. But thank you for trying to help."

"Of course. I'll just head home then and get ready for the week," I decided

Edward kissed me goodbye, more passionately than usual. I left his apartment with a feeling of guilt. What I had was what a lot of people wished for, and I was taking that for granted. Monday was the beginning of a new day, a new week, and a fresh start.

I walked into work with a light step and leading smile on my face. The night before, I had barely slept at all. The thoughts in my head didn't cease for one moment. I considered long and hard my relationship with Edward. I was content, although something was still missing. I wasn't sure what that something was, or if I would ever find it. I came to the conclusion that maybe it was just the three-year itch, or whatever that was called. Just because we had a low-key weekend, and I wasn't in the mood to be physical with him, didn't mean I didn't love him.

I went through my usual routine, stopping in the kitchen for a quick cup of coffee. Jessica was already in there, blabbing on the phone about some hot guy. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and waited for my coffee to heat up.

I was just about to leave when she clicked her phone shut and turned to me.

"Oh my God, Bella! Did you see the patient in 304?"

I recognized that as Jacob Black's room. I figured he would be discharged by now. "No, I haven't done my rounds yet. Why, what happened?"

"He's the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen! And I googled him, he's got stuff all over the internet, articles about him and pictures. He's like, kind of a celebrity or something! I'm sure that means he's got a ton of money. I mean, good looks and a nice bank account – that's perfection!"

"Jess, he's still a patient here, I hope you're not-"

"Oh, Bella, please. I'm totally a professional, at _all_ times. I'm make sure he knows that, too," she said with a wink.

A surge of rage flew through my body. She was totally planning on trying to land Jacob! "Jessica, are you serious? Grow up."

She stared at me in shock, no doubt surprised that those words were coming from me. I was always the office mediator, the one who never got into fights with other girls because I would let things slide and be nice to everybody. This time, I wasn't stepping down.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said. I can't believe that, first of all, you would even imply of trying to hook up with this guy. And second of all that you would only care because of looks and money or fame. That is the shallowest thing I've ever heard. Besides, you are so not his type, trust me."

"We'll see about that." She stormed past me and out of the room, almost causing my full coffee mug to topple out of my hands.

Was my speech totally uncalled for? Perhaps. Was I being a complete hypocrite? Maybe a little.

Regardless of my reasoning, I couldn't stand the thought of Jacob taking an interest in Jessica. She was so superficial; there was nothing beneath the surface, no substance. Why did I care so much?

I sighed, leaving the room. Angela was already deep in paperwork at the front desk. I said a quick hello and caught up with updates on my patients over the weekend. I was glad to see a few recoveries and subsequent discharges.

And I also noticed that Jacob Black _was_ still in the computers as the occupant of room 304. I wondered why he would still be here; he was admitted quite a few days ago. I assumed it was to watch for infection on the site of the bandaged broken clavicle. That and the burns on both of his legs made him pretty much immobile for now.

I leisurely did my rounds, and took extra time to show that personal interest in my patients, especially the ones that had no family visiting. It always pained me to see someone alone in a hospital bed with no friends or family to keep them company and help the recovery.

I made sure Jacob's room was my last stop. I wasn't worried about going in there; I needed time to build up to it. But something didn't sit right with me when I saw Jessica rambling on and on, standing against the small counter and sink in his room, desperately clawing for any shred of attention or admiration Mr. Black was going to throw her way.

"I've got this, Bella. You can cross this room off your list for rounds." She gave me a glare that said the opposite of the forced smile on her face.

"You know that's not how it works, Jessica. And speaking of rounds, you should be doing yours, instead of spending all day in Mr. Black's room."

She angled her back towards the patient and placed a hand on her hip. "My rounds are already done, but thank you for your concern," she said in a stern tone of voice. "Besides, I'm sure Jacob doesn't mind my company." She spun around and flashed him a smile.

"Jessica. Out."

She squared her shoulders and brushed past me without another word. I knew she was on her way to complain about me but it didn't really matter. Everyone knew Jessica's reputation and everyone knew mine. That alone was enough said.

I snatched a pair of gloves from the box on the wall and stuffed them in my pocket before checking the monitor for vitals. I flipped through the notes from the graveyard shift nurses and brought myself up to date. I grumbled when I noticed that Jessica's impression and initials were nowhere written on this chart. She had, in fact, been doing nothing but chat up the patient while she was in the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Black," I said cheerfully. "How are you doing today?"

"Better now that she's gone," he laughed and nodded in the direction of the door. I was happy to hear that; he didn't sound interested in Jessica one bit. I wasn't sure why that put a smile on my face, though.

"I can't stand her."

"Yeah, she is annoying. She wouldn't stop talking," Jacob added. _Oops, had I said that out loud? _I knew that putting down another one of the staff in front of a patient was not a good idea, but it slipped. Although something told me Jacob didn't find a problem with that.

"I'm sorry you were stuck here all weekend, I'm sure you didn't want to be at the hospital. But things are looking good, and as soon as the doctors put you in the clear with that broken bone, you should be free to go."

"No worries. I was supposed to fly home to see my family, but it worked out because they all flew out to see me." He still had that sparkling grin on his face. It was contagious; I found myself grinning also.

"Well that's nice of them. Did they have to fly far?"

"Yeah, sort of," he laughed. "I'm from Washington."

My hands froze in their tracks, and I looked up to find Jacob intently watching my movements.

"Washington State?"

"Yep."

"Me too! I lived in Forks for the past couple of years before moving here." Usually people would get a laugh when I told them what town I was from. It was an odd name, but it was unique and meant something special to me. It reminded me of my father, the police chief, and the Cullens, of course. Forks was where it all began.

"You're kidding me! I'm not too far from there; I grew up on the Quileute reservation, by First Beach?" He was searching my face for a hint of recognition. My eyes must have light up when he mentioned First Beach. I used to go on many trips with friends from high school to First Beach, before I met Edward.

"Wow," I commented, "it's a small world. I've been to First Beach a ton of times. I wonder if we ever ran into each other?"

"No," he said right away. "I would remember."

I blushed slightly and hurried to finish my assessment and pull off the pair of latex gloves that were clinging to my skin.

"Okay, you're all set, Mr. Black."

"It's Jake."

"Alright, well, Jake, everything looks good."

"So I'll be out of here soon? I want to get back on the track. Do you think I'll be given the clear to race again?"

"That's up to the doctors, not me. Obviously you're going to need some time to completely heal up, but if you keep progressing like this, it shouldn't be much longer."

"Thanks, Bella."

I smiled and walked out of the room quickly, ignoring the way butterflies fluttered in my chest at the way he said my name.

The next few days blurred together. It was a mess of seminars, paperwork, and a rapid influx of patients at once. I didn't have enough spare time during my shift to breathe, let alone think about anything other than work related information.

Sometime Thursday afternoon, I found myself in Jacob's room again – not that it was an unnecessary visit, but it was different than most of my other visits to patients. The conversations I had with other patients were about the weather, or current events, but with Jake I always had something to honestly smile about.

It was a pleasantly refreshing atmosphere that I could feel once I stepped through the door. He was light and optimistic, and gave me the feeling that I had known him forever. The superficial conversations I held all day were far from the things Jake and I talked about.

Another plus was that Jake was alone in his room. Usually I had to fight to get through the door; he always had plenty of visitors, definitely over the allowed limit, but they were all so nice and compliant that I ignored that broken rule and didn't call security to enforce it. I was introduced to the friends, family, and pit crew, but I couldn't recall any of the names if I was asked.

"Guess what, Bella?" Jake asked the moment he saw me. He looked like a young child, eyes glowing and smile beaming. He would probably be bouncing on the bed if he was able to.

"What?"

"I'm being discharged tomorrow morning," he announced proudly.

"That's great news," I said genuinely, even though it meant I wouldn't have my daily visits with him.

"I can't wait to get back behind the wheel. The doctors said that will take a bit longer though. My collar bone won't be completely healed for another two weeks or so, but the burns are fading every day. I heal quickly, though, I'll be racing again in no time. Probably by next month. Of course my doctors aren't encouraging me to return to such a risky sport, but that's not really an option for me."

I chuckled at his eager attitude, happy that he was finally being released and everything went smoothly.

"So you're really attached to racing, huh?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes playfully, then shrugged. "Eh, it's a hobby. I'm not surprised you didn't notice."

I bit my lip to hide my smile. "Have you been racing long?"

"My whole life, basically. For about five years professionally, though." I looked over the doctor's orders in the chart and made a checklist of the few things I had to do.

"It's an interesting career choice. How did you get started?"

"My dad was a big gear head. He raced, and his friends raced, and some of their kids from the reservation back home raced, too. It's just part of my life. Besides, the adrenaline rush and the speed is incredible. It's an indescribable feeling; I can't get enough."

"I'm sure. I've always been drawn to that sort of thing. Just watching how fast those cars whiz by is a rush; I can imagine what it's like to be the one behind the wheel."

"Have you ever run a car down a drag strip?"

"Oh, no, never." I washed my hands after I completed everything and set Jake's chart on the table so that I could face him and annotate simultaneously.

It was quiet for a moment while I scribbled down notes. I looked up when Jacob broke that silence by clearing his throat. He had a shy grin on his face. "You know, that offer from last weekend still stands." He looked at me as I tried to piece together what he was talking about. "If you're interested, and once I'm one hundred percent, I'll show you some things about racing. You'd love it, I promise."

I shut the chart and hooked it under my arm, averting my gaze from Jacob warily.

"If you want to give me your number, or some way I can reach you, when I get out of here I'll give you a call and-"

We were quickly jumping over that blurry professional line again so I put a halt to it, with some reluctance. "I really appreciate that, Jake, but I'm not sure that it's a great idea."

"Well," he stumbled, "we don't even have to do anything with racing, we could just, um, you know, hang out?"

I shook my head slowly. "I'm sorry," I started. Even if I did what I wanted to and broke the rules by exchanging numbers, I wasn't a single girl who could forget her fiancé and go spend time with another man. _I wish I could, though._ My thoughts betrayed me.

Jake suddenly jerked his good arm out to a duffel bag on the visitor's chair and pulled out a small square piece of paper from a zippered pocket. How he did that so quickly with only one good arm was beyond me. I took the card he was holding out.

"Okay, fine. But please, take this. It's my card. It's got my number and everything on it, so in case you change your mind. . ."

I smiled politely and shoved the card deep into the pocket of my green scrubs. I couldn't explain why I took it, but I did.

"Thank you. I'm glad to see you're doing better, Mr. Black. If you're discharged before my shift tomorrow I wish you the best."

I hurried out of the room before he said another word. The rest of the day his card burned a hole through my pocket, and his face wouldn't leave my mind.

**And there you have it. Bella's still confused, but growing more and more bored with Edward. And Jake is being pretty persistent.  
I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. Also, what do we think of the chapter titles/songs - good or bad or indifferent?  
****  
Remember, if you leave me a review (and you have a FFnet account), I'll send you a PM with a preview for Chapter 7 :)**


	7. Say Goodbye

**Thanks for all the love for the last chapter! I hope all of you enjoyed the preview! For all of us Jacob fans, this is hopefully going to be a good chapter. I know I've been waiting for it for a while, even though there's not much Jacob in it. Please read the A/N after the chapter, I want to explain a few things. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Twilight are not mine, only the plot is :) Chapter title belongs to Chris Brown.  
And a huge thank you goes out to my awesome insomniac beta, Katbug 86, for looking over this chapter and fixing my mistakes. You're the best !**

Good Girls Go Bad  
Ch7 _Say Goodbye_

_How do you let it go, when you  
You just don't know, what's on  
__The other side of the door  
When you're walking out..  
There's never a right time to say goodbye  
But I gotta make the first move  
Because if I don't you're gonna start hating me  
Cause I really don't feel the way I once felt about you  
It's not you, it's me  
I kinda gotta figure out what I need..  
_

Consumption function, open-market operations, fiscal policy, and Say's law. Those were the things that I should have been focusing on. After all, I was in my macroeconomics class Thursday night, and my professor was reviewing the topics and terms to know for the next exam. I was probably the only student not studiously scribbling down notes and trying to get every word, which was unusual for me.

That was because my mind was consumed with other matters; things that, frankly, were not going to help me pass this class. Things like the feel of my hands on a steering wheel, or the feel of my hands on Jacob's chest.

I covered my face with my hands and lost all hope of getting any good review material from this class. I would have to ask one of the girls for the notes later; hopefully, one of them was actually paying attention.

My mind had committed mutiny since leaving Jacob Black's hospital room. I was in no control of my thoughts, conscious or otherwise. I would turn all my attention and concentration on one thing, but somehow a little thought or image of Jacob seeped through every crack until it completely covered my view and obliterated any other sane thought.

This was not good. I was embarrassed of thinking the things in my own head, and ashamed of myself. I'm engaged to another man, yet Edward's face hadn't crossed my mind all day. Instead, I was thinking of Jacob; thinking of his eyes, his laugh, his smile, his body, his humor. What would happen if I decided to call him up? Was there a real connection there? What would it feel like to be with him?

I knew I had fallen into a deep pit and with every second it was getting deeper. I stood up and quietly excused myself from the room. All eyes were on me, wondering where the hell I was going during this important and critical lecture. I didn't even know.

Quickly slipping into the girl's restroom, I slumped against the counter and groaned. This had gone way too far. What was I doing to Edward? Was it fair to be engaged to him when I was considering another option? Even if I never would imagine that I'd have true feelings for someone I barely knew, compared to how much time and effort Edward and I invested in our relationship, it was wrong. What would I say if Edward was having feelings like this for another woman? Supposing he never acted on them, it was still wrong, wasn't it?

And here I was, doing that to him. He didn't deserve this. If I was so in love with Edward, I shouldn't have been thinking of someone else. Defeated, I locked myself in a stall and dialed Rose from the cell phone I slipped out of my pocket.

She answered on the second ring, and I felt sobs rising in my chest when I wondered how to put this into words. I felt horribly guilty.

"Bella? Aren't you in class?"

"Hi, Rose," I said glumly. "Yeah, I'm in the bathroom. I can't focus."

"Ugh, you sound horrible. Are you sick?"

I sighed. "Not exactly. I have a problem, though. I need your help, Rose. I think it's serious."

"What's wrong?" Her voice was frantic, and I struggled with my next words.

"No, I mean, everything's ok, I'm alright. Physically at least, for now, but I'm, uh...I'm really confused," I admitted.

Rose didn't follow my train of thought. "Oh...okay. You're taking macro, right? Well, if you're confused you can bring over your notes, and I'll help you. I don't envy you, that class was a bitch."

"No, Rose. I'm not confused about the material in class, although, now that I'm missing the review I might need your help."

"Okay, Bella, you really lost me. It's not anything to do with macro that's got you confused? So what happened?"

"I keep thinking about this guy and it's not Edward, and I feel like I'm cheating on him or something. And I don't know what to do because I know that's wrong, but I can't help it," I blurted out in a rush.

I heard Rose take a deep breath on the other end of the line. She was quiet for a moment before she responded.

"Okay, let's look at this logically. First of all, you've got to tell me who the guy is, but that's not important right now so he can remain nameless. But I'm not going to let you get away with not telling me, so don't even try," she warned. "So you have feelings for someone other than your fiancé? I'm just trying to clarify."

I felt sick to my stomach. It sounded so horrible hearing her say it. And I didn't even know how to answer.

"Um, I don't know, really. It's just this guy that I've run into a couple of times. We talked about, like, little stuff, but I get this feeling when I'm around him. Like, I feel kind of flirty and I get butterflies and I'm curious. And, Rose, his body – it's like, I can't even explain."

"Sounds like you just need to get laid," she said flatly. "Like when you see a hot actor on TV or something and you're like, 'damn', but do you feel like you're cheating on Edward then?"

I sighed. "Rose, this is different. It's not just a physical attraction. I just find myself thinking about him all day- what it would be like to go out with him, what he thinks of me...you know?"

"I guess."

"And then, I feel so guilty because I'm engaged." I felt hot tears sliding down my face and suddenly felt so angry. With myself, the situation, hell I even felt mad at Jacob for showing up into my life and causing all of this shit. "Engaged! I'm fucking _engaged_, Rose! And here I am thinking of Ja-thinking of this guy and Edward hasn't even crossed my mind. The guy I'm engaged to hasn't even crossed my mind a quarter of the times this other one has! I don't know what to do! I love Edward, but I can't be with him if I'm not one hundred percent. And now I don't know if I'm one hundred percent because this damn guy keeps making me doubt that I'm completely Edward's."

Rosalie let me rant for a few minutes and collect myself before she spoke quietly. "If Edward told you he was going through something like this, what would you tell him?"

I wiped my eyes and seriously thought about her question. What would I do if Edward told me he loved me, but he couldn't stop thinking about some other woman and the what-ifs?

"I-I don't know. I mean, I think I would tell him that if he's thinking about someone else it means he's not fully committed to me. And if it's not just looks or a hot body, I would tell him to try things out. That maybe I'm not completely right for him. That it's not fair to be with me when he's pulled towards someone else."

We sat silent on the phone, letting our words settle and turn them over in our heads. Things were slowly clicking into place, and I turned what I said about Edward back on me.

"But what if it's just cold feet, Rose?"

She sighed. "That's up to you, Bella. I know you've been overwhelmed by the peppy Cullen party planners with wedding stuff when you're clearly not okay with legally tying the knot in the near future. So yes, it could be cold feet, it could be you freaking out about being with one man the rest of your life."

"So how do I know what to do?"

"I wish I could help you, Bella, really, but it's not my place to say. I'll give you my opinion, though. For as long as I've known you, you've been in love with Edward – unfailingly. And you've never been one to make last minute decisions; you have everything planned out and you think things through a hundred times over before choosing. Hell, I wish I did that half the time I had something important to decide. But back to you, I'm not completely ruling out the possibility that you've just got cold feet, but to be honest, I've heard you mention little things that you feel you've missed out on. And this was before you mentioned meeting any guy."

"Now," she continued, "I'm no expert on relationships, that's for damn sure. But what you said before was right, this isn't fair to Edward. It's not even fair to yourself when you think about it."

I heard the buzz of a microwave in the background. "That's my dinner," Rose announced.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rose. I better get back to class anyway, they'll be wondering where I ran off to." I wiped the tears off my face with my sleeve and peered in the mirror to fix my disheveled appearance. "Thanks for listening. I have a lot to think about, but I'll call you when I get the chance, okay?"

"No problem, Bella, whenever you need me."

I said goodbye and shoved the phone back in my pocket before I made my way back to my seat in the classroom. Class was ending- I had missed that much. Lauren and Bree shot me questioning glances, but I stuffed my notebook in my bag and shuffled out to my car as soon as class was dismissed so they couldn't pester me with questions.

I went home with a major headache and was left feeling so mentally and emotionally drained that I couldn't even handle making dinner. I called Edward to let him know I wasn't feeling well.

"Do you need anything, love? I can bring something over if you are hungry. Do you have Tylenol or would you like me to pick some up?" I clutched myself feeling even more nauseous than before. Why did he have to be so sweet?

"No, but thank you Edward. I'm just going to get some rest and hope that I feel better in the morning." I said goodnight and turned on the water for a hot bath. I popped some painkillers for my headache before slipping into the full tub.

I couldn't break things off with Edward over the phone; it had to be done in person. But I didn't even know what I would say. How was I supposed to explain this? And what if a few days later I realize I've made the biggest mistake of my life and regret it tremendously? Would he consider taking me back?

I closed my eyes and begged my mind just to clear. For ten minutes even, that would have been sufficient.

I thought it would be better after getting almost ten hours of sleep, but it wasn't. If it was possible, I woke up with more of a headache than I had gone to bed with. I had to do something about this, since medicine clearly wasn't working.

I searched through the number in my contacts that I needed, and Angela picked up on the first ring.

"Ang, this is Bella."

"Oh, good morning, Bella. What's up?"

"Listen, I'm not going to make it in to work today – I just feel terrible, and I don't think there's any way I could possibly make it through the day."

"Oh, sorry to hear that, but it's no problem. I've got it covered. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks, Ang. I'll see you Monday." A long three-day weekend sounded like just the thing I needed.

"Sure thing. And if you need anything, you know where I am."

I thanked her again before dropping my phone to the floor and rolling over on my stomach. I buried my head into the pillow, pulled the sheets over my head, and decided that a few more minutes of shut eye wouldn't hurt.

It didn't hurt me, but it apparently had an effect on Edward. A banging on my door woke me.

"Damn," I swore when I realized that the clock read a quarter to ten. I didn't remember the last time I slept that late. I ran past the mirror and checked to make sure I was decent enough to open the door. I matted my hair down and pulled it up into a quick bun on my way.

After tripping down the stairs, I made it, and swung open the door to face the cause of the loud knocking.

"Oh." Edward. Edward was at my door, bed-head, wild eyes, and all. He rushed in and tightly wrapped his arms around me.

"Oh, Bella, you had me so worried! Last thing I know you said you weren't feeling good last night, then I don't get any phone calls or text, and I had no idea what happened to you. Rose hadn't heard from you, and I couldn't reach anyone at the hospital and you weren't answering either of your phones. I've been so worried; you can't imagine the things that have been going through my head."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I called the hospital this morning to tell them I wasn't coming in and then I just fell back asleep. I didn't even realize…"

He sighed, then released me before he turned around to shut the door. If there was ever an award for over-reacting, Edward would win -no contest. He fretted and stressed over everything, and it was my mistake for not sending him at least a quick text so he wouldn't worry.

"Well, I'm here now, and I don't have to be at the office for another hour. You said you took the day off?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you still feeling ill?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling very underdressed in my shorts and tank top compared to Edward's three-piece suit.

"I'm okay. I just took a…mental health day."

"A mental health day?" He repeated.

"You know, like a day to just get things in order and re-group. I'm not sick, per se, but I'm not feeling myself."

"I see."

I pointed behind me to where the kitchen was. "Do you want breakfast? Did you eat already? I could make something real quick if you want, or maybe we could go out for breakfast…?"

Edward shook his head. "I ate already."

"Right." Why were things feeling so awkward?

I took a deep breath and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. The uneasiness I was feeling between us now pushed me to say something. Now or never. "Uh, Edward, I think we need to talk."

He grabbed my hand and led us to the couch, where we both sat down facing each other. He held my hands in his own. "Me too."

"Oh, you…um, what did you-what did you wanna talk about?"

He sighed. "I feel like you've been distant lately, and you're right about not being yourself. You never take off of work unless you absolutely have to, especially when you're not even sick. And you've been acting different around me, I don't know what's wrong, love. I need you to tell me."

I held back tears and looked away while I tried to find my next words. "You know I love you, right?" I laughed despite myself. "I've loved you since the first day we sat next to each other in biology class."

He lifted my chin so my gaze was forced on him. "As I love you," he said.

"And maybe it's all this engagement and wedding stuff that's still got me overwhelmed, but I know you've talked to Alice and your mother and they haven't bothered me as much about planning, so I can't blame it on that."

Edward looked on encouragingly. "I'm just confused, really, really confused. And I don't even know why, I wish I could explain it to you, but I can't even get it through my own head." I was sobbing freely now. "I love you-so much, but something is holding me back from giving you my everything. And I need to figure out what that something is before I marry you."

I tore my gaze away from his emerald eyes and wiped my tears into my shirt. He was quiet for a few minutes, and I didn't dare look at his reaction.

"So what are you saying?" He asked softly.

"I-I don't know. I love you, but I think...I think I need some time."

"Okay." He nodded slowly.

"I don't want to break up, but maybe we should…take a break, or something." What did I expect? Did I want Edward to just be waiting in the wings while I acted as a free woman and 'figured myself out'? This plan sounded dumber and dumber every moment.

"I'll give you all the time in the world, my Bella. I just want you to be happy." His words broke the dam of another sobbing fest, and I cried into his shirt as he held me.

"Oh, my God. I've ruined your shirt. Edward, I'm so sorry, and you have to go to work and I've-"

"Bella, hush. It's alright, it's just a shirt."

"Are you sure? I could see if one of Phil's would fit you…"

"No, that's fine. Listen," he started, "take all the time you need, okay? I don't want to lose you Bella, never in a hundred years would I want that. But I do want you to be happy. So if time is what you need, than take it. We have all the time in the world. Do whatever you need to, love. I'll call you in a few weeks." He kissed me once on the lips softly before he showed himself to the door.

I wondered if it was harder for him to leave than it was for me to watch him walk out the door. I spent the entire afternoon wallowing and doing absolutely nothing. Rosalie finally left work and came over for somewhat of an intervention.

"You can't be serious," she said when she found me curled up on the couch with the comforter that I dragged from my bedroom. My eyes were red from crying, my hair was knotted and unkempt, and my clothes were wrinkled from wearing them all night and all day so far.

"What did you expect?" I grumbled.

She threw her hands up in the air. "Bella – you did this, remember? You broke things off with him, not the other way around. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were the one having second thoughts?"

"So what, Rose?" I snapped. "I'm still upset about it."

"Forgive me, but you might hate me for a while." She gripped the comforter and pulled it out from under me. "Get up."

"What are you doing?"

She sighed. "Look, you broke things off because you started having doubts, right? And you feel like you're missing out on stuff and you don't want to be tied down to one person, and all of that. So here's what we're gonna do. From this moment forward, you are going to become a whole new Bella, the one that you've been hiding. I don't care if you like it or not, but that's what we're gonna do. And we're going to find out if you made the right choice by deciding to explore and experience your options, or if this whole thing is a case of the grass is greener on the other side and then you get there and it's not."

Rose huffed and pointed to my bedroom. "Go take a shower and get dressed. We have things to do."

I muttered under my breath and found my way to the shower. I knew Rose was right, and I was glad she was here to handle things, since I was in no state to figure out my next move.

Once I was dressed and freshly showered, Rose dragged me to this quaint little salon in town. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What? You've been with Edward a long time. A really long time. And once you're with someone you get in your own little routine and don't pay attention to little things. And there's nothing wrong with that, but now that you're going to play your options I think we need a girly pick-me-up."

"And what does this pick-me-up involve?" I asked, still uncertain.

"Just a little change. You don't have to do anything dramatic, but I'm thinking…blonde."

I gasped. "Rosalie, are you crazy? That entire statement is an oxymoron. Nothing dramatic, but I should dye my hair blonde? I think that's pretty dramatic!"

She shrugged. "It was just a thought. I think you would look great as a blonde."

"I've never even dyed my hair before." I sighed. "Why don't we start with something simple?"

Rose clapped her hands together. "In that case, I have a plan B."

I had good reason to trust Rose's taste and fashion sense. She had a good relationship with her hairdresser, so she sat me in the chair and explained 'her vision'. By the end of a somewhat tortuous two hours, I had a new hair color and updated style, plus freshly painted fingers and toes. I admired my new hair in the salon mirror while Rose and half the salon employees waited with baited breath for my reaction.

It wasn't much different from my reddish brown, technically, but I saw the change. There wasn't any sign of a red tinge; it was now a shiny flat shade of dark brown. There were new angles and layers, which made it feel lighter. I smiled.

"I love it." The hairsylist smiled broadly while Rose rushed my side.

"I knew you would, Bella. It's perfect. It looks wonderful on you."

"Thanks, Rose."

She nodded, air-kissed her hairdresser goodbye, and pulled me back into the car.

"So. Here are the choices. We either order take out and watch a chick flick at your house and then you tell me about this new guy over ice cream, or we start our shopping spree early."

"I don't think I can handle a new hairstyle _and _a new wardrobe all in one night."

She hit the gas pedal and headed in the direction of my house. "Girls' night in it is."

**Okay, so I know most of you are going to be thrilled with the happenings between Edward and Bella. What I wanted to do is explain what's going on with them, in the case that it's misunderstood. Bella talks about it as 'taking a break', but in this case, that's pretty much broken up. There's no commitment right now between the two of them, so Bella wouldn't be cheating on Edward by going out with someone else. And she definitely will be going out with someone else ;)**

**Thanks for reading and please leave me a thought or two in a review! I'll send another preview your way as thanks..**


	8. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Happy Monday, everyone. Here's the deal: I'm sick and all I want to do right now is take some sleep-inducing cold medicine and go to sleep. But I'm posting hoping that I'll get some good reviews that will make me feel better :)**

**Speaking of reviews, we're almost at 100! I appreciate everyone's comments and feedback so much. And if you have an account and are reviewing, I hope you've been enjoying the chapter previews.**

**Now for the chapter. I know everyone is pumped about 'single' Bella and a re-introduction of Jacob. This chapter contains no Jake :( It is focused on Bella enjoying herself a little before jumping into anything else. But just so you're still excited to read - the next chapter is all Bella and Jake, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Bella, Rosalie, and anything else you recognize is from Twilight by S.M. Chapter title song belongs to Cyndi Lauper, not me!**

Good Girls Go Bad

Ch 8 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun  
_When the working day is done, oh girls,  
They wanna have fun..  
Some boys take a beautiful girl  
and hide her away from the rest of the world  
I wanna be the one to walk in the sun,  
Oh, girls, they wanna have fun._

"Rose, we're going to be here all day!"

"Stop whining and try them on. I'm going to see what else they have –I'll be right back. And make sure you let me see each piece before you change!"

I grumbled in defeat and attempted to organize the pile of clothes that were currently occupying the dressing room with me. Rose had insisted on a new wardrobe to go with the 'new me'. I wasn't sure exactly who the 'new me' was yet. I had barely been single for twenty-four hours.

I pulled a hanger from the pile- a purple sleeveless dress with sequins covering the top and a flowing bottom into a bubble skirt. I admired it for a moment before I slipped it on. It fell on my upper thighs- way shorter than anything I was used to.

A knock on the dressing room door indicated that Rose was back.

"Open up. Lemme see." I shyly opened the door, and she pushed her way inside. "Oh my God!" She gasped.

"What? What happened?"

"Bella Swan has gorgeous legs! Who knew?"

I swatted her arm and tugged at the hem of the skirt, feeling too exposed. "Shut up, Rose."

"No, no, no. Don't do that! You have great legs; why wouldn't you want to show them off?"

I spun slowly as I looked in the various mirrors lining the small room's walls. I had to admit that it was a cute dress.

"Edward would kill me if I ever wore this," I said quietly, mostly to myself. Rose clapped her hands together.

"Then that's it; we're buying it."

"What?"

"Bella, you look hot. And you have a great body; it won't hurt to show off some skin."

"Where would I ever wear this dress?"

Rose shrugged. "When we go out."

"Where are we going?"

"Bella, what's with the questions? C'mon, try on the next one; we've got plenty more." She gestured to the seemingly endless hangers on the pegs in the dressing room.

I slipped out of the dress and started a 'yes' pile. By the end of the day that pile cost me more than I had planned on spending. We were in our third store, looking for a cute blouse to go with my new dark skinny jeans.

I was sizing up a blue, tight, off-the-shoulder shirt in the mirror of yet another dressing room. I lifted my hair to better see the cut-outs in the back. Rose was sitting on an ottoman in the corner.

"I like it," she commented. "It's cute and edgy, but not slutty."

I sighed. "If you say so." This whole re-inventing myself and trying to explore the real me was exhausting.

"Do you have gum?" Rose asked me.

"Yeah, in my purse." I held up the skinny jeans with the blouse and tried to picture the entire ensemble together.

"What's this?" I heard Rose ask. I looked in the mirror to see her behind me, holding a small square of white paper beneath her fingers. My heart stopped for a minute before it began to pound loudly in my chest.

"Nothing." I spun around and attempted to grab the card from her but she took a step back and out of my reach.

"You have Jacob Black's card…in your wallet…why?" She said slowly.

"That's, um...that's from, you know, when we were at the races."

Rose frowned. "Bella, first of all, you know and I know that you are a horrible liar. I can see right through you. So tell me the truth."

"I ran into him at work and he gave me that," I admitted.

"When?"

"Um, a couple of days ago." I tugged the blue shirt over my head and folded it neatly before I pulled on my own shirt. I saw the gears turning in Rose's mind.

"So this- is this the guy you were having feelings for?"

I was almost ashamed to say this out loud to Rose. I nodded. "It's not just that he's attractive. That's obvious, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to think that. But he's sweet and funny and he's passionate about life and his career. We're even from the same town back west."

"And he gave you his card because…?" Rose questioned.

"He asked me to hang out or something."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Or something? So he likes you then?"

"I-I think so. I mean, I guess."

Rose stood up and took the shirt with her to the register as I followed. "So the feeling is mutual. Have you called him?"

"No way."

"Do you want to? Wait, dumb question. Of course you want to. We wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise. So call him. Tomorrow, maybe."

"I don't know, Rose. I mean, he knows I have a boyfriend. Or, he knows I had a boyfriend a couple of days ago, anyway," I corrected myself. "I don't want him to think- to see me as the type of girl that-"

"He knew you were in a relationship and he asked you out anyway? I don't think it will be a problem then."

"Ok. But…I don't even know what to say! I call him and say…what? Hey so my boyfriend and I are taking a break and I'm wondering if you wanna hang out?"

Rose snorted. She paid for the shirt, and then slipped it into one of my shopping bags. I thanked her and we started walking to find our car. "No, of course you don't say that. You could ask him to meet up for drinks or something. You can even use me as an excuse. Tell him that a friend of yours is in PR and would love to represent him -which, by the way, is true. Or, even easier, we could make plans for a couple people to go out and just call and ask him to come along. Nothing fancy."

"I think I can do that."

"Good. So call him tomorrow." She nodded as if she was settling an on-going issue. I stuffed my bags into the backseat of Rose's BMW and prayed they wouldn't fly out the top of her convertible. I wedged them between the seats just to be sure before I jumped into the passenger's side.

"So will you tell me where we're going tonight?"

"It's nothing big; just a couple of my friends from work. And Emmett," she added quickly.

I turned in my seat to face her with a sly grin. "Emmett, huh? So you guys _do _hang out a lot."

She waved her hand at me in dismissal of the comment. "He's nice. Okay? And he gets along with my friends. So yes, we hang out. But that's it."

"Okay, okay. Wait, does he know about me and Edward?"

Rose shrugged. "I haven't told him. He probably doesn't, unless Edward spoke to him."

"I hope it won't be awkward then. I mean, Emmett is Edward's brother- I don't want him to be upset with me."

"Bella," Rose started, "he has no reason to be upset with you. There was a relationship between you and Edward, not you and Edward and Emmett. You know he loves you like a sister, I doubt that he'll turn on you just because you broke up with his brother. Hell, I don't even think Edward's mad at you."

I slumped in my chair. "I don't know. I hope not."

"No, no, no. None of that – no moping!"

"Rose-" I protested.

"How long have you been with Edward?" She asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"How long did you and Edward date for?"

"Since high school," I answered simply.

"Okay. So let's say since you were like seventeen or eighteen, right?" I nodded. "That's like when you figure yourself out and learn what you like, what you don't like. But you were dating Edward during that period, and you dated him for five, six years."

"Okay…" I wasn't following her line of logic.

"All I'm saying is, you never had time for _you_. In reality, you were never single; you were always in a relationship. You've been Edward's Bella for five years. You've never been yourself, just Bella."

Rose made a valid point and her insight definitely made me think. It made sense that I buried my own opinions or natural reactions to events since I was in constant compromise with Edward. And I stayed the same way since we started dating until the present – there was no growth there. Obviously, I've matured a bit and grown in experiences of life, but I never really explored me. And that was the plan.

We crashed back at my apartment so that we had a place to put all the clothes. I was lucky we had time to throw together some food and eat before Rosalie carelessly shoved all my old clothes aside to make room for the new ones. She admired each of them as she hung them up.

I rolled my eyes and left her to it. "I'm going to shower," I told her. I took a long, languid hot shower and stayed in for much longer than necessary. I scrubbed every inch of my body until I felt that I may have removed the top layer of skin. It was like a symbolic renewal. I dried off and slowly covered my body in lotion from the bottle in the cabinet that I always forgot I had. Then I blew out my newly colored hair until it was less than damp, wrapped myself in a towel, and sauntered back into my room to find Rose.

I was surprised to find her changed and wearing a simple grey knit dress that flowed to mid-thigh matched with laced-up peep toe ankle boots.

"We're meeting everyone for drinks in an hour," she informed me.

"Okay. I just have to get dressed and finish my hair and stuff." I don't know why, but I was suddenly overcome with nerves. I didn't really know any of the people Rosalie worked with, personally at least. I'd heard her vent and complain about each of them at a time, but never was introduced, probably because I never went out.

The only person I would know was Edward's brother. And that was awkward enough. Would he tell Edward that I was there or what I did? I wondered if Rose's friends would notice that I'm not quite as good at mingling and doing the whole 'going for drinks' thing as Rose was. I didn't know what to expect, and that was making me anxious.

I paired a long, deep blue top with black leggings and pumps. I stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes, and couldn't help the effortless smile that fell over my features. It wasn't too showy, but I felt more confident and sexier than I ever did. Just a simple change like wearing new clothes had done that. It may have been a little vain, but I felt positive about this.

The pumps were a risk for danger, but walking in them gave me a strut; the leggings were skintight against my legs, but it didn't make me feel self-conscious. Rosalie searched through my closet and added a thick black belt around my waist when she saw me.

I finished up my hair with a flat-iron and even borrowed some of my mother's makeup. I didn't have much- Edward usually hated when I covered myself up in makeup; he said it was unnecessary. I agreed at the time, and I still do, to an extent. I wasn't covering anything up, I was enhancing certain things. For once, I took longer to get ready than Rose did. It was kind of nice to make her wait for a change.

Overall, by the time Rose and I hopped in the car, I was feeling like a different person, a new Bella- the Bella that had been suppressed for a couple of years. Rose helped me shake most of the nerves, and by the time we reached the bar, I was excited and bouncing with anticipation.

"Don't let this fool you," Rose said while she pulled into a parking spot. "It doesn't look crowded, but it will be."

She was right. We made our way through the doors and I was hit with many things at once. One, the amount of people in the bar as compared to the cars outside, which in reality, was probably a good thing because people would be taking cabs home. Two, the noise level. And three, the lights. It was more like a bar mixed with a nightclub. Either way, whatever it was, it was all new to me.

I tried to keep up as Rose tugged me through the crowd. Her friends were circled around a table by the main bar already. She positioned me beside her as she made introductions.

"Hey guys, this is my friend Bella. Bella, this is Tanya, Riley, and Vera. You know Emmett, of course." She pointed each one out and I repeated the names in my head so I would have a better chance of remembering them.

I took a shaky breath before saying hello. Emmett pulled me into a tight bear hug that would have seriously restricted my ability to breathe if the belt I was wearing wasn't already doing that.

I was a bit surprised yet inwardly thrilled that he didn't seem to be the leader of an angry mob against me in Edward's defense.

"You look great, little sis," Emmett commented using his nick-name for me.

I chuckled. "Thanks, Em."

I was glad he didn't ask me about what was going on between me and his brother, because I promised myself and Rosalie I wouldn't think about that tonight. Rosalie announced that she was off to get us drinks, and left me alone with the group. I took one of the empty seats, which happened to be next to Emmett.

Riley broke the silence. "So Bella, how come we haven't met you before? Did you recently move here?"

"No, I live here in Jacksonville. Rose and I had some classes together last year, but she was finally able to drag me out," I said jokingly.

Vera chuckled. "Well, we're glad she did."

"Thanks. You guys work with Rose?" I asked.

Tanya nodded. "Unfortunately," she said with a smile.

Rose squished herself onto the stool next to me and slid me a drink that matched her own. "I heard that," she scolded.

I eyed the drink warily. "What is this?"

"My favorite. Try it," she encouraged. She sipped her own drink and I followed suit. She was right, it was good. It was some kind of fruity drink with a girly name that I kept forgetting.

I was surprised that it wasn't hard to make conversation. I observed more of the dynamic between Rose and her friends I had never met. They engaged me in the conversation and soon I fell right into the flow of things and felt comfortable. Riley and Tanya were shocked by my lack of knowledge about different drinks, which they noticed when I finished the first one and was unsure of what to order.

They ordered a bunch of different drinks and insisted I try each one. I found that I liked a lot of them. Rosalie was obviously happy that I was getting along well with her friends, but she didn't include herself in the sampling of alcohol. She insisted that tonight was about me, and she designated herself the driver of the evening. I was enjoying myself more than I had in a long time. The atmosphere was lighter, younger, and freer than I was used to feeling.

Rose got up to dance with Emmett when the music started beating louder, and I cheered her on. They had a chemistry that was apparent with each of their movements, words, and stares. They molded together well.

"I think he's winning," I announced to the group, my filter long gone. I wasn't exactly thinking before speaking after learning my alcohol tolerance. Although I knew I wasn't drunk, I had enough in my system to be a little more than buzzed.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked. He was the last one at the table after Rose and Em got up. Vera and Tanya were off dancing as well.

"He's been trying to crack her for weeks. Months, maybe. I hope she lets him," I sighed. "But they're dancing – that's a good sign, right?"

Riley chuckled. "I suppose." I took a moment to really look at Riley. He was cute, but kind of boyish looking, with shaggy brown hair in that popular unkempt style. He had a great smile.

"Do you want to dance, Bella?"

It took me a moment to process this request. Then again, there wasn't much processing going on. I nodded enthusiastically and found myself being led to the crowded floor. I panicked for a moment when my brain caught up to my actions and I remembered that I had no rhythm or coordination.

"I'm not very good at this," I said.

Riley shook his head and leaned close to my ear. "I can't hear you."

I mimicked his actions and spoke into his ear. "I'm not good at this. Dancing," I repeated.

He pulled away with a smirk and rolled his eyes. He didn't believe me. I did my best to pretend I knew what I was doing. This was the new Bella after all, and she was all for trying new things and being outgoing. I closed my eyes and took a moment to channel that energy.

The music pounded in my ears and I felt Riley begin to move in front of me. I did my best to move my feet with the music. In time, I had some kind of basic step down that seemed to work. The crowd caused everyone to be squeezed closely, but there was still a few inches between Riley's body and my own.

Neither of us closed that gap; and I don't think either of us wanted to. I didn't have any feelings for Riley other than the fact that I liked him as a potential friend after meeting him tonight. And I didn't see any indication that he was interested in more.

We stayed there for a few more songs before heading to the bar again for drinks. I was sweating from the combined body heat on the tight dance floor. I threw back one drink before Rose and Vera tugged me back to the dance floor.

"Are you having fun?" Rose shouted over the music. I told her I definitely was. "Great! I saw you dancing with Riley," she winked. "You've got some moves, girl!"

I laughed. "Are you joking?"

"You never see yourself the way other people do."

I shrugged.

"Not that you need the help, but Vera and I are pretty much experts in this area," Rose bragged with a teasing tone. We were standing next to each other in somewhat of a circle. I imitated the way Rose and Vera were moving their arms, their hips, and their feet. It was fun, and got easier the more I did it.

After a while, that unsure feeling disappeared and was replaced with an empowering confidence. It wasn't as if all of this was coming to me naturally, but it felt easier to be this person than the person I tried too hard to be. My mind wasn't bogged down with all of the thinking and worrying, and I welcomed that fact.

Emmett was able to drag Rose away again. As I was walking back to the table I felt someone grab my arm. I assumed it was Riley or one of the girls.

I spun around as best I could without losing my balance, only to come face to face with a guy I had never met. He dropped his hand quickly from my arm when my eyes reached his own.

"Sorry," he started. "I, uh, I'm Mike." I laughed, because it was the most awkward introduction I'd heard. I held out my hand to him.

"Hi, Mike. I'm Bella." The assurance in my voice surprised even me. It was wonderful what a self-esteem boost and liquid confidence could do for a person.

"Bella. Nice to meet you. Do you wanna dance?" He asked.

Why not? "Sure." I allowed him to lead me to an open spot on the floor. In the flashing blue-ish lights I could make out his clear blue eyes and dirty blonde hair atop his head. I raised my arms a little above my head and moved my hips from side to side like I had done when dancing with the girls and imitated the way they moved.

I tried my best not to look down at my feet, although that was what I wanted to do the most. Everytime I looked up, Mike was watching me.

Throughout the night Mike and I danced a bit more, and the edges became fuzzier. I kept those few inches between us, like Riley and I had shared. Mike, on the other hand, didn't understand that boundary line, and didn't respect it much - he kept bringing his body closer to mine.

Rose pulled me away a song or two after that, which I was grateful for. I thanked Mike for the dances and began saying goodbye.

"It was fun," he said. "You seem like a really cool girl, Bella."

I shrugged with a coy smile. "I am."

Mike laughed. "It'd be really cool if you gave me your number. You know, so that we could come back here and hang out some more," he suggested.

"Uh, well…"

"I won't turn into a crazy stalker, I promise." He looked at me with an expectant smile and fished his phone out of his pocket.

I didn't want to give him my number, but I felt bad if I didn't. He was a nice guy, just like Riley was a nice guy, but there was nothing more than that – I was sure of that. Mike was still holding out his phone.

I caved and set my number in his phone. Hopefully he wouldn't muster up the guts to call me. Otherwise, it would be easy to reject him. It was hard to say no when he's standing right there, but he would get the hint once I press ignore when he calls.

Rosalie drove us back and we crashed at my apartment. I didn't bother to take off any makeup or put up my hair. I pulled on a long tee-shirt and crawled into bed.

"Is that the right time?" I asked Rose in disbelief after looking at the clock.

"Yup."

"I don't think I've ever stayed out this late."

"I believe you," she said.

"It was fun."

"Good. That was the point. Mike seemed to have fun, too," she teased.

"Shut up," I grumbled.

"I saw you giving him your number," she said with a laugh.

"I'm not interested, Rose," I protested.

"Then why did you give him the digits?"

"Because I felt bad saying no; I didn't know what to do."

Rose sighed. "I'm gonna have to teach you everything, aren't I?"

"Goodnight, Rose," I mumbled before drifting off into a heavy sleep.

I couldn't remember the last time I slept into the afternoon, but Sunday I definitely did. I woke up slowly and padded into the kitchen to find Rose. I spotted her drinking coffee and flipping though a magazine. I poured myself a cup from the still warm pot and slumped down next to her.

"Morning," she said cheerily.

I mumbled a greeting back at her in response that probably wasn't understandable.

"I'm never staying out that late again."

She chuckled. "That's what they all say."

I groaned. "Thank God I don't have anything important to do today."

I spent the next hour underneath a warm spray of water in the shower before blowing out my hair. I caught up on some schoolwork and studying after Rosalie left. It was easier to concentrate without so many things on my mind.

Sunday evening I made time to pick up around the house. Weekends were when I usually got my cleaning and sprucing up done, but this weekend had been scheduled via Rosalie, and it left me with a bit more of a mess then I'm used to.

I changed into an old pair of sweats, turned on the radio, and scrubbed, dusted, vacuumed, and organized the entire second floor of the condo. I loved the smell and look of clean. When I got to my closet, it was pure chaos. Rose had pushed all of my old clothes to one corner, and some were scattered on the closet floor. I said a silent pair of thanks that she didn't go anywhere near my dresser.

I folded up some old outfits and stowed them away in the back of my closet. Included in that pile was a sweatshirt and a tee-shirt of Edward's that he let me borrow indefinitely. It stung a little bit to put them to the side like that, but I knew it had to be done, and I wasn't going to waste any more time on that subject at the moment. I'm sure if I looked through everything, there would be a pair of sweats that I stole to sleep in once, but I didn't go digging to find them.

Night fell far more quickly than I was used to -most likely because half my day had consisted of recovering from the night before via sleeping. I decided to give my mother a phone call before heading to bed. I hadn't spoken to her from a while, and I was sure she'd love to hear from me.

"Hi, sweetie!" She answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Mom." She didn't sound like I had woken her up, which was good news. Since I didn't know what part of the country she and Phil were currently in, I had no idea if there would be a time difference.

"I miss you, honey. How are things at home?"

"I miss you too, Mom. Um, things are alright. Where are you and Phil?" I asked.

"Well, we're in Atlanta right now. I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's where we are. Honey, you can't blame me – we're in a new place every week and sometimes I lose track."

"How is it there?"

"Oh, it's wonderful. But I'm sure it's less exciting than what you've been up to."

"You might actually be right," I laughed.

"How was your trip that you took that weekend? How is Edward doing?"

I knew that question was coming soon – it was unavoidable. "The trip was pretty awesome. We saw a ton of races and got to hang out near the trailers and stuff."

"That sounds…interesting." I could imagine my mother scrunching up her nose with the thought. "I never understood that obsession you and your father have."

"I know. But I had a good time. Rosalie and Emmett, Edward's brother, came also."

"Aw, how adorable. Are those two dating now? You and Rose could be sister-in-laws one day!"

"Mom, I don't think it's that serious yet. Actually, I know it's not that serious yet. They're not even officially dating. I think they will be soon, though. He really likes her."

"How sweet," she crooned. "And Edward had a good time? Did he make it the whole weekend without calling work?"

"Mom," I sighed. "Yeah, I think he had a good time. I hope so, anyway. But we're…we're not together right now."

I heard a sharp intake of breath across the phone line, as expected. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Well, nothing. I mean, it's not a big deal. We're just, you know, taking a break."

"Explain," she demanded.

"I don't know, Mom. There's not much to say."

"Who initiated this 'break'?"

"I did."

She gasped again, no doubt she was surprised. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I...I just want to be sure that if I'm with Edward for the rest of my life that it's the right choice to make. And I kind of wanted to see if there's something else out there for me." I didn't hear a response. "Mom?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm proud of you, hon. It may sound odd, but hear me out. I'm glad these things came up before you were married, like how it happened to me. I did things backwards, and I did them the hard way. I know this probably wasn't easy for you to do, but it's better to get things like that out of the way before making such a life-altering decision like marriage."

"That was the point," I said.

"You don't need it, and I don't even know if you want it," she laughed, "but my advice, Bella, is just to have fun. Do whatever it is that you want, whatever comes to mind."

"Okay, Mom. Thanks."

"Anytime. Oh, and by the way, Phil and I should be heading home. The season ends at the end of the month. So you can expect us back at the condo soon."

"Alright." We chatted for a bit more about Phil's progress this season, and all the shopping that my mom got done while he was making that progress. She said to expect another new trunk of clothes upon her arrival.

I was surprised that I was tired when I crawled into bed minutes after I hung up with my mom. I felt like I had just woken up and now I was snuggling under the covers again for another night. I set my alarm for Monday morning and braced myself for another day of the 'new Bella'.

**Leave a review for me ! (It'll make me feel better!)  
ALSO: If anyone is interested in being a beta for this fic, please let me know by way of review or PM. Thanks.**


	9. A Girl Like Me

**Jake and Bella are finally here, and I know all of you are excited to read a chapter with the pair together. Thanks everyone for the well wishes, and I'm happy to be feeling healthy and back to normal. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight was written by , not me. (Obviously) The chapter title song belongs to Rihanna.  
This chapter was beta'd by bluebaby3926.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Ch 9 A Girl Like Me  
_A girl like me,  
Is just a little different from all the rest.  
Show me all the reasons you ought to be  
With a girl like me.  
Possibility,  
Got me trippin',  
Thinking of what could be  
Between you and me.__  
_

I sat at the front desk at work, fidgeting and tapping my foot anxiously against the linoleum floors. I turned Jacob Black's card over and over between my fingers; my other hand poised just above the buttons on the telephone pad.

There was no doubt that I was nervous. Every time I sucked in a breath and tried to press even the first number, butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I hung up. I felt like a little kid dared into prank calling someone.

It was nearing the end of my lunch break, and I shouldn't have been making 'personal' calls from work anyway, so I needed to do this now. I took a deep breath and held it while quickly dialing the number I now almost could recite with my eyes closed.

It rang once, twice, and a third time. I was debating on whether or not to leave a message on voicemail when he answered.

"Hello?"

Words rushed out of my mouth before I could hear what I was saying. "Hello, I'm looking for Jacob Black," I said, even though I knew for sure he was the one who answered. It was a mere formality, and a stalling tactic.

"Speaking."

"Hi, Jacob, this is Bella Swan, one of the nurses at-"

"Bella!Hey, how are you? I didn't expect to hear from you." I heard his voice perk up a bit more, and heard some shuffling and a door close, like he was walking to another room.

"I'm doing great, thanks. But I'm calling to ask you that. I wanted to check up and see how your recovery at home has been going."

"Oh, so this is just a routine phone call?" He asked with teasing in his voice. "And here I was, thinking of how special I must be to have Bella calling me."

Something about the way he said my name even caused a reaction somewhere inside me. It sounded so different, so sacred, and so nice to hear my name roll off his tongue.

"I'm doing fine; getting better. My arm is still sore, but it'll be back to normal soon, I can feel it. And the burns don't look so bad anymore. It doesn't hurt as much to walk. I'm practically as good as new."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you're doing well."

"Thanks. Me too."

There was a lull in the conversation for a moment as I wondered how in the hell I could transition this from his recovery to if he wanted to hang out.

"So…this number that I called, is it your home number?"

"No, it's a cell. My home number would take you to Washington."

"Oh. You're still in Florida, then?"

"Gainesville. Outside of where the races were held. My crew and I rented a place down here for the duration of the races, and we ended up staying longer than planned; due to my accident and all."

"When are you leaving for home?" I asked. I hoped I didn't wait too long to call. It would be a shame and a huge disappointment if he were flying across the country soon.

"We don't know yet. I had to pull out of my next competition that I was supposed to race in because of these injuries, so there's no need for me to go anywhere just yet."

"Oh. So does that mean you'll still be around this weekend?" I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut praying that didn't come out sounding too desperate or awkward.

"This weekend? Yeah, yeah, I'll be here. Why?" I could picture him smiling on the other line, and I knew exactly what that smile looked like.

"Um, well, I'm going out with some friends of mine on Saturday night, and I was wondering if you…if you'd be interested in joining us. We're probably going to meet up for drinks at this bar in town," I added.

"Cool that sounds fun. This, uh, group of friends," he started. "Will your boyfriend be there, too?"

"I'm not…we're…I don't have…I'm single."

"Enough said. I'll definitely be there."

"Great. Awesome." I wanted to jump up and down. I couldn't believe I was brave enough to do that! And he agreed, which made it all the more awesome!

"But you know…Saturday is six days away. How about we grab some dinner, say…tomorrow night?"

This was going way better than planned! Although I wished I could put the conversation on hold and ask Rose what to do. Was I supposed to play hard to get, and act like I had plans already? Doesn't that make you seem more interesting to men or something?

Oh, forget it. That wasn't me; I wasn't going to pretend to be someone I'm not. And, seriously, this was Jacob Black asking me to dinner!

"Tomorrow night?" I paused and took a breath. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Perfect. Why don't you give me your number and I can text you with more details," he suggested.

This time, I needed no further convincing to give out my number. I would have written it out for him. I programmed his number into my cell phone, and after that exchange I said goodbye and began attending to my job at hand.

I was on some kind of a high the rest of the afternoon. Even the patients noticed the permanent smile plastered on my glowing face. The hours flew by and soon it was the end of my shift.

I texted Rose the good news before heading home. She called me as soon as she got the message.

"Bella's got a date, Bella's got a date," she chanted into the phone when I answered. I couldn't help the girly giggle that escaped.

"I can't wait."

"Me either! I wish I could go with you!"

"I don't know about that, but I will definitely need your help picking something to wear. I haven't been on a first date in…"

"Ever," she finished for me.

"What? That's not true," I protested.

"Edward asking you to sit at his table during lunch at school does not count as a first date, Bella!"

"Fine," I grumbled. "What do I even talk about?"

"You'll be fine. You talk about family and work and stuff. And, you know, if you happen to mention your best friend, who is a fucking awesome PR agent…"

I laughed. "Have you heard from Clearwater's team?"

"Not yet. But that's okay. I have some good news, too. It seems that we both have dates tomorrow night," she said.

"Rosalie Hale! With who?"

"Uh, with Emmett," she admitted nervously.

I squealed. "No way! Oh, Rose, I'm so happy for you. Good for him, he finally got you to agree!"

She laughed on the other end of the line. "We're going to a seafood place and then a movie."

"How sweet," I cooed.

"Shut up," she laughed.

"Really, Rose, I'm happy for you. Em's good for you."

"We'll see."

We chatted for a few minutes until I pulled up to my apartment and went inside to settle in for the afternoon. I kept my cell next to me the entire night, and I was thrilled when it finally vibrated and indicated that I had a message from one Jacob Black. I held my breath in anticipation and opened the message.

I wrote down the name and address of the restaurant he suggested, and then I looked up directions. It was about a half hour away from me. He had merely sent me the name of the restaurant, address, and the time. I typed in 'sounds good' with the keyboard on my phone and hit send, wondering if he would text me back. I set my cell beside me on the sofa and bounced with excitement. I got a message back within seconds, but I didn't get the chance to read it because the screen lit up with an incoming call.

My stomach filled with butterflies. "Hello?"

"Hey," he said. "I'm sorry, I wasn't going to call you, but I couldn't resist."

I giggled. "That's okay."

"So that restaurant's okay with you? Do you like Italian food?" Jake asked.

"It's perfect," I answered honestly.

"Good."

"I'm excited," I admitted.

"Really? Me too."His words sent a thrill through me.

"Aw, Jakey got himself a…" I heard another guy's voice in the background but he was cut off. I heard a thump and then, "Damn, dude, I was joking around!"

"Sorry," Jacob said when he got back on the line.

I couldn't shake the smile from my face. "No problem."

"You can't even begin to understand what it is like to live with eight other people."

"Wow. That's a lot."

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "Just ignore them, though. All brawns and no brain."

"I resent that!" Came another voice from the background. I giggled. In truth, I couldn't help but envy Jake's situation. I lived by myself, most of the time, and never had a steady slew of people around me. I could imagine the fun Jake had living with his best friends. It sounded like constant entertainment. I continued to listen to the conversation on the other end of the phone call.

"Geez, Embry. Can't I have five fucking minutes to myself! I'm on the damn phone!"

"I don't know five minutes is a lot to ask…"

"Should I remind you who signs your paychecks?"

"Okay, I'm leaving! No harm done."

It grew quiet and Jacob finally spoke again. "Bella, I am so sorry. They have no manners."

"It's fine. They sound like fun."

He laughed a deep, throaty laugh in response. "You are too nice."

"Well, thank you, I think."

"So, as far as tomorrow, do you want me to pick you up, or…?"

"No, no, that's okay. I don't want you coming all this way when we can just meet in the middle."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I don't want people to think I'm shirking my responsibility as the man by letting my date drive herself to dinner." I heard the teasing in his voice.

"Just because I'm a woman does not mean I'm not capable of driving myself," I laughed. "I can even order a meal, all by myself!" I joked.

"Really?" He feigned shock. "Women are deciding what they want to eat these days?"

"Yup. I'll even show you tomorrow night. I'm capable of a lot of things that would surprise you."

"Oh, are you?" He asked; his voice fell lower and huskier. It made me blush furiously.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"I'll have to hold you to that. But for now, I'll let you go and enjoy the rest of your evening. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night, Bella."

"Me too."

I hung up and couldn't resist jumping up and doing my happy dance for a few seconds. I was running on adrenaline and anticipation for the rest of the night and next morning. Even Jessica Stanley couldn't ruin my mood.

She glared at me all of Tuesday. Angela thought it was hilarious, though she didn't know the whole story. The day went by quickly and soon I was slipping my purse over my arm, ready to rush home and prep for my date.

Jessica corned me in the locker room. "What are you so happy about, Swan?" She grumbled.

"Not that it's any of your business, Jessica, but I have a date tonight. With Jacob Black."

Her jaw fell open and she started to say something back, but I brushed past her. New Bella did not put up with Jessica's bullshit.

Rose was waiting at the condo when I got home. We were both going to get ready for our dates at my house, since I needed her help desperately, and she needed me to stop her from bailing on Em.

I donned my new blue top with the cutouts in the back and skinny jeans with wedge heels. It took her a while, but Rose finally settled on a short sleeve black shirt with lace and mesh detailing on the gauzy sleeves that she paired with white pants and heels.

I blew out my hair and ran my straightener through it, letting it twist into soft curls at the bottom. Rosalie pushed hers back with a headband and let it fall in its natural beauty down her back.

By the time I was getting ready to leave, and Rose was waiting for Emmett, we were both deep breathing. I was more nervous than I can remember being in a while, and Rose looked like she was ready to sprint any minute.

"Be nice to him, Rose," I warned.

She waved off my warning. "Go, go. You don't want to be late." I narrowed my eyes at her. "What? I'm not gonna run."

"Fine. Let's go. I'm going to lock up. Em should be here any minute anyway." Rose followed me outside into the warm Florida air and I locked the condo up behind us. Rose tapped her foot, nervously and impatiently.

"Do you think he stood me up?"

"Rose, are you kidding me? The guy has been chasing you for weeks trying to get you to go out with him. You think he's going to ditch you after you finally agree?"

She shrugged. For a beautiful and strong woman, she sure had insecurities. A familiar car made its way in front of the house.

"Look, he's just on time." I lightly pushed her in the direction of his car. "Have a good time."

She began to walk towards Emmett when she spun around. "You too, Bella. And remember our system!"

Rose came up with an escape plan for the both of us in case our dates went horribly wrong. I didn't think either of us would end up in that scenario, but we had a strategy set up just in case. It was the first time that I had felt like I had a real girlfriend.

Rose and I had been great friends, but while I was in a relationship with Edward, I sometimes felt Rose was leagues ahead of me and we didn't have much in common. Now that I was in a similar position as her, I enjoyed spending more time doing things that she liked. I felt like we connected more because I didn't have to hold back or worry about Edward's subtle disapproval of my relationship with her.

I waved her off and hurried to be on my own way. I arrived at the restaurant, after I took only one wrong turn, ten minutes early. One glance at the front entrance told me that this placed was packed. I wasn't sure if I should go in and put our names on the list, or if Jacob had already placed a reservation for us.

So I decided to enjoy some of the Florida air and wait outside in front of the restaurant. The landscaping was beautiful and coincidentally there was a bench where I could still keep an eye on the parking lot.

A loud rumble caught my attention and I turned my head in the direction of the noise. I may have started drooling when I saw the car that held the purring engine. And who was driving that car. It was all black with two shaded stripes down the middle.

A shiny black Cobra Mustang whipped into an empty spot, music blaring, but not obnoxiously. The windows were tinted and lowered halfway, but I had a good guess regarding who was behind the wheel. He got out of the car and I swear the world started to move in slow motion while some action movie song played in the background.

He was wearing a black tee over loose-fitted but not sagging blue jeans, and his dark hair was slicked up. If only he had a leather jacket, he would be every girl's bad boy fantasy.

I snapped out of my trance as he sauntered closer, and I stood up. His face lit up with a smile when he saw me, and he jogged to close the distance between us.

"Bella! How are you?" Jacob leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I wasn't expecting it, but it didn't feel forced or too forward.

"I'm good. How about you?"

"Starving," he chuckled. "Ready?" He gestured to the front doors of the restaurant. I nodded and he led us inside. Once we squeezed our way through the crowd to the reception booth, the hostess told us it would be at least an hour wait, unless we had previous reservations.

Jake blushed. "Uh, I didn't make reservations," he told me. "I feel really stupid…I should've known this place was going to be packed. I'm really sorry, Bella. Do you want to wait or go somewhere else?"

I shrugged. "I don't care. I'm not hard to please."

He looked around at the crowd waiting patiently and the full tables in the dining area with uncertainty. He ran his hands through his shaggy hair, and I found myself picturing my own hands running through his silky strands.

"I'm sorry; I fucked up royally on this one."

I reached out my hand to rest on his arm. "Jake, really, it's not a big deal. I don't mind going somewhere else."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes. Positive. C'mon." We made our way outside and back into the parking lot.

"Do you know of another place you want to grab dinner at?" He asked me.

"Um, I don't really know the area well…"

He laughed. "Me either." A moment later he fished his keys out of his pocket. "Alright, let's go."

I felt somewhat adventurous as he led me to his car and unlocked the doors. I had no idea where we were going or what the night was going to turn out to be. It felt awesome.

He went around to the driver's side, slid in, and pushed open the opposite door for me. I admired the car briefly before I jumped in. The inside smelt brand new, like it had just been driven off the dealership this morning. The black leather was smooth underneath my hands, and just as comfortable.

The dashboard and controls looked sleek and stylish. There was a medium sized screen that seemed to be a navigation system and overall control center for the radio and other settings. He turned the key in the ignition and the car revved to life. It vibrated for a few seconds beneath us. I wondered if anyone else found the sounds of a muscle car's engine to be such a turn-on.

"I figured we could just drive around and find another place to get food, if that's okay," he explained.

"Okay."

He pulled out of the parking lot and soon we found ourselves on a main highway. We both kept our eyes peeled for a restaurant or diner.

"This wasn't how I expected our first date to go," he chuckled.

"The night isn't over yet," I said. "It's barely started."

"Very true. That looks like a restaurant over there." He pointed to his left and a few seconds later, we came upon a burger joint, where he pulled into the lot. "How do greasy burgers and fries sound?" He asked me, with a huge grin on his face.

"Sounds perfect." We headed inside and found a quaint, family-style restaurant place, which was also packed with patrons.

"Wow, I really know how to pick 'em, huh?' He joked.

At this rate, I wasn't sure if we were ever going to be seated. Jake stole a menu from behind the host's table and scanned through it. "I have an idea," he announced. "Lets see if they'll make us something to go." He passed me a menu and I glanced over it while he waved down one of the wait staff.

Twenty minutes later, we got back in the car doting doggie bags with our meals inside. The aroma saturated the air in the car and made my mouth water. I still wasn't sure of the plan that had formulated itself inside Jacob's head.

He zipped down the highway, back in the direction we came from. "We passed this place on the way here, and it looks like it'll be the perfect spot for…"

He didn't finish his sentence, as he was scourging the outside landmarks for the spot he was looking for. A few minutes later, he pulled his car into an empty lot, and I was captivated by the scene in front of us. He pulled up his car as close to the lake that the pavement would allow.

There was a beautiful lake in front of us, complete with a setting sun over the horizon. I hadn't noticed this place while we were driving before, but it wasn't a secluded spot.

Jake turned off the car and popped the trunk. I grabbed the food as he set down a blanket in front of the car – an impromptu picnic by the lake with hamburgers and French fries. I think I liked this better than Italian food at a crowed and overrated restaurant.

It was spontaneous and different, and exactly perfect. I sat down next to Jacob on the blanket and handed him his food. We eagerly dug in.

"Is this okay?" Jake asked.

"It's great," I answered honestly.

"This place reminded me of First Beach when we passed it."

"That's where you grew up, right?"

"Born and raised," he said.

I looked over at the scene in front of us. The lake was calm and quiet, and reflected the setting sun.

"Granted, this is a lake and First Beach is more the ocean...," he continued. "You mentioned you've been there?"

I nodded. "Plenty of times. When I was in high school my friends and I used to go there to swim and surf and stuff."

"You surf?"

"Well, no." I laughed. "I did the swimming. Or you know, the sitting on the beach and tanning," I added with a girly flip of my hair.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at me skeptically. "Tanning?"

"Okay, so I didn't do that either." He laughed that deep laugh that I had come to love hearing already.

"It's a cool place."

"It is," I agreed. "Did you like growing up there?" I asked.

"The Quileute reservation is a good place to grow up. Everyone is pretty close knit and the schools are small and stuff, but I had a lot of fun."

"Forks is like that, too. Everyone knows everybody else. And is usually in their business," I chuckled.

"So you moved here from Forks, then?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, we moved here about a year ago."

I didn't realize what I said until Jake pointed it out. "We?" He inquired. I cringed.

"Um, yeah. I moved with my…my ex." It felt weird referring to Edward as my 'ex' for the first time. It was new for me.

"Ah," Jake responded. I suddenly felt the need to explain.

"I actually was born in Forks. My parents went to high school there; my Dad's the chief of police. But my uh…my parents divorced when I was pretty young, and I moved to Arizona with my mom. She eventually got remarried and her and her new husband had to relocate to Jacksonville, so when I was a junior in high school I moved in with my Dad back in Forks while they moved to Florida. I got my nursing degree from Forks, and then moved back to Jacksonville."

"Wow, that's quite a story. You've been all over the place."

"I guess so. I never really thought about it." I finished my burger and began nibbling on the fries. I noticed that Jake finished his food way before me.

"You never mentioned any sisters or brothers. Are you an only child?" He asked.

"Yup. It's just me. What about you?"

"Two . Rachel and Rebecca. Twins. Older."

"That's nice."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

"Do you get to see them often?"

"Not really. My sister Rebecca got married and lives out of state. And Rachel is in San Francisco right now."

"Oh."

"I live with my dad, in the same house I grew up in." He smiled with a faraway look on his face. It seemed like he had close ties with his community in La Push; the way he spoke about it was proud and somewhat reverent.

"I think I met your dad, while you were in the hospital."

"Yeah, you probably did. He and the whole crew were there every day. Barely let me get any rest," he laughed.

"That's nice that you're so close with them. Do they travel with you to races and things like that?"

"Well, there's me and seven guys who usually travel with me who make up my pit crew. My father does his best to come to most, but with his health conditions he has limits on traveling. And then there's Leah, of course, who is the second driver on our team."

"Oh, yeah, I know Leah."

"You do?"

I blushed. "I mean, not personally. But I know of her. She's great. I love that she's entered into a so-called man's sport and totally kicked ass."

He sighed with a smile on his face. "Oh, God. She's gonna love you." _Did that mean he was planning on introducing me to her?_

"Is she from La Push, too?"

"Yup. The whole gang is. We've been racing together for years. Leah's been racing a year or two longer than me, though, professionally at least. I've always had a love for cars and engines and speed. I guess it was kind of my father's fault. He used to race and he just passed down the love of racing to me. I've wanted to do this since I was a kid."

"That's pretty cool. I don't know too many people that actually become what they say they want to grow up to be when they are kids."

He shrugged. "There was a time when I wouldn't go near a track, though," he admitted.

"Why's that?"

He crumpled up our garbage from dinner and collected it in the brown bag, then leaned his back against the car with a pensive look on his face.

"When I was a teenager, my parents were in a car accident. My dad was driving, and he and my mom were in the car. It was a really ugly accident, and we lost my mom. That's how my dad ended up in the wheelchair, too."

"Jake, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. It was a long time ago. I've accepted it now, but at the time it was this huge disaster. I never wanted to step foot inside a car with the intent of racing ever again. I felt like, why would I want to center my life around cars, when that's the thing that killed my mom?" I listened on with a heavy heart as Jake continued. "And then, I don't know what it was, but one day something made me want to race again. My mom's accident was just that, an accident. And avoiding cars wasn't going to bring her back. I felt like I could conquer it, you know. And I guess that's what I do when I race. I'm the one in control of the car and all of that. I don't know."

"Are you ever worried about getting hurt?" I asked.

"When I first got back into it that was the only thing I thought about. It's a risky career choice, for sure, much like you saw when I came into the hospital," he laughed. "But now it's kind of just a facet of the game. It's chance. Sometimes, if you love something as much as I love racing, you have to overlook the risks."

"That's true dedication. I don't think I could ever have the courage to do that."

"Well, you're a nurse. To me, that takes much more dedication and courage. You have to really know your stuff for that. I don't think I would do well knowing I had a person's health in my hands. Is a nurse what you wanted to be?"

I snorted. "Not at all. Medicine was pretty much the furthest cry from my idea of what I would do for a living." I told Jake all about how I signed up for it right out of high school when it was the last program available. I also told him a little about how I was now working on my business degree.

"So what made you agree to go out with me?" He asked. I blushed and bit my lip.

"Um, I don't know. You seemed like a lot of fun to be around."

"I'm glad we spent some time together, Bella," he said. His dark eyes were focused on mine and he inched closer to me. I could smell his cologne – an earthy, woodsy mix. "I really like you."

"I like you, too." My mouth was suddenly dry and I licked my lips in response. I watched as Jacob's eyes moved down from holding my own gaze to on my mouth. New Bella wanted to kiss him, and she was going to get her way.

I closed my eyes and leaned in, resting my weight on one of my palms flat against the blanket. His lips moved warm and invitingly against my own. It came natural and easy, and I wasn't worried about what was going through his head. I was solely focused on the feeling as his lips gently caressed my own.

It could've lasted for seconds, minutes, hours; I didn't count. It was the perfect first kiss. I felt like I could spend all day kissing Jacob and be totally satisfied.

He reached for my hand and I let him hold it is his own. He stood up, stretched, and pulled me up with him.

"Ready?" He asked. I nodded and he went to throw out our trash in a nearby garbage can. I shook the dust off the blanket and folded it as neatly as I could. He thanked me, threw it in the trunk, and went around to the passenger's side to open my door.

"Thanks. I love this car by the way. It's gorgeous. Mustangs are one of my favorites."

Suddenly I heard the clink of his keychain and saw Jake had pulled it out of his pocket and was holding it up. "Wanna drive?

**I'm dying to know what you think of Jake and Bella's first date ! (Well, the first half of it) To be continued...  
Leave a review! What should they do on their next date?**


	10. What the Hell

**A/N: Hello again everyone. Thank you for all the responses to the last chapter. I do my best to respond to each of you if you have an account! (and lillicricket-your review made me laugh!)  
Anyway, here is the rest of Jake and Bella's date, and it goes all the way through to a second date! So I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I claim to. Neither do I own the chapter title song, that's Avril Lavigne's.  
Thank you to bluebaby for looking this chapter over even with a busy schedule.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Ch 7 What The Hell  
_All my life I've been good,  
But now, I'm thinking what the hell?  
All I want is to mess around,  
I don't really care about,  
If you love me,  
If you hate me,  
You can't save me, baby, baby  
All my life I've been good, so now,  
I'm thinking what the hell  
_

"There's three pedals."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah…"

"Oh." I stared down at my feet and the three pedals underneath them.

Jake leaned over, closer to me. "It's a stick shift."

"I see."

"I take it you've never driven a stick shift."

"No." I blushed red and opened the door, ready to switch seats again. "Sorry, I should've mentioned-"

Jake gently grasped my arm to pull me back into the car. "What are you doing?"

I held up the keys. "Uh, well…I thought…aren't you going to drive? I don't know how to drive a stick shift."

Jake reached over my again and shut the door before he placed the key in the ignition. I felt nervous and under qualified. "Well now is the perfect time to learn."

"Oh, no. I can't do that. This is your car; it's like brand new. I don't want to ruin it."

Jake laughed. "Bella, relax. You have to learn on something, right?"

"Not on your Mustang!"

"Oh, please. Don't you want to learn?"

"Actually, yes…but-"

"Okay then." He gestured out the side windows to the vast and empty parking lot. "Good place to start. Long enough straight-aways."

"You're out of your mind," I laughed, surprised that he wasn't worried at all about me wrecking his car.

"Put your foot on the clutch." The car rumbled to a start beneath us as he turned the key, and I did my best to hold back an excited squeal. "Okay, so, here's what you do to shift. There's six gears, plus neutral. So right now, we're gonna keep the clutch pressed down and shift into first." Jake grabbed my hand and guided my grasp over the shifter.

"The clutch always has to be down when you are switching gears. If you shift without the clutch, you're going to end up grinding the gears," he explained. "Okay, so right now we're in first, see?" He lifted our attached hands away from the console so I could see. I nodded. "So we want to start moving. Start pressing down the gas pedal with your left foot while slowly letting up on the clutch."

I listened to what Jake said and nervously began to press on the gas. The engine revved noisily and I panicked and stopped everything I was doing until I went back to just holding down the clutch.

"Relax, Bella. That sound happens when you're letting up on the clutch too slow for the amount of gas. Go like this." Jake did his best to demonstrate with his two hands as pedals. He lifted one up and turned the other down at the same pace. I imitated his actions with my feet while I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.

The car started moving and I took a breath. "I did it!"

Jake chuckled. "Good job. See, it's not that hard. Now we're in first, but you want to switch into second at about ten or fifteen miles per hour. First gear is really just to start moving." He pointed to a gauge on the dash. "Keep an eye on the rpms. When that meter gets high, it's an indicator that you need to shift into the next gear. Try giving it a little gas and shifting into second." Jake removed his hand from over mine and I instantly missed the warmth, and also the assurance that he had a semblance of control over the car still, even though he was a passenger.

Nervously, I pressed down the gas and watched the rpms increase. I let up on the gas, pressed the clutch in, and quickly found second gear.

"Look at that. You're a natural," Jake complimented.

"Hardly," I disagreed. "Um, how do I stop?"

"Stop? Why do you want to stop? We're just getting started, baby."

"Because we're nearing the end of the parking lot," I warned.

"Oh. Right. Alright, you can do one of two things to stop. You can either shift into neutral then use your brake like you normally would, or downshift and brake in between."

The latter option sounded much more complicated, so I attempted to shift back into neutral. I had my foot on the clutch, but the shifting wasn't coming that easily. Jake noticed my struggle and put his hand over mine to push the shifter with a little more force and knowledge. I brought the car to a stop.

"Very good." Jacob talked me through reversing, and that took about twenty minutes to accomplish. He was patient and understanding the entire time, though.

Once we had the car turned around, he instructed me to start moving again, and shift on my own. I took a deep breath and let up on the clutch. The car jerked forward and stopped suddenly.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. What happened?"

Jake leaned over and turned the key in the ignition again. "It's fine. You just stalled. I think you let up on the clutch too fast without enough gas."

I groaned. "This is so complicated."

"Nah, it's simple. Especially once you start doing it a lot. The only tricky part is letting up on the clutch and pressing down on the gas at the same rate. You'll get the hang of it."

Jake let me drive around a bit more, and he showed me some tips and tricks. I only stalled the car once more before we called it a night. We switched seats and I sat relieved in the passenger's seat.

"What did you think?" Jake asked while he effortlessly coasted out of the lot and back on to the highway in the direction of the restaurant.

"It's really cool. I don't think I would ever feel comfortable driving it around other people though," I laughed.

"You did fine. Really well for a beginner."

"Thanks. And thanks for trusting me with your car."

"Don't worry about it. You did great; you just need more practice. You can borrow my car whenever you want," he smiled.

"I might take you up on that."

"Please, do."

We soon pulled up at the original restaurant where my car was parked. Jake slid the mustang into a spot and quickly hopped out to open my door for me. I found myself wishing it had taken longer to get here.

I unlocked my car as we got closer to it and tried to stall for a few minutes. I wanted to spend more time with Jacob, even though I knew I had work tomorrow and couldn't stay out all night.

"So we're still on for Saturday, right?"

"Sure, sure. Looking forward to it. I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Bella," he said while his dark eyes bore into mine.

"Me, too. Thanks for everything." He nodded, and then dipped his head to press his lips against my own.

"'Night." He got back into his own car and I was left swooning for a moment before getting myself together and driving my own way home.

"Bella!" Rose squealed the moment I walked through the door of my condo. "How was it?"

I smiled widely. "It was a lot of fun."

Rose clasped her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. "Oh my God! You kissed him!"

I blushed and giggled. "So what? Let's talk about you – I'm sure you were smooching on Emmett!"

She waved her hand. "Oh, please, that's just Emmett. This is you and freaking Jacob Black- bad boy, drag racer, hotness extraordinaire!"

"Rose!" I laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"You know it's true! So, you did kiss him then?"

I sighed exasperated. "Yes."

She squealed again and I covered my ears as she followed me into my bedroom. "Jacob and Bella sittin' in a tree..."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "How old are we?"

She stuck her tongue out. "Twenty-three."

"Are you done?"

She sat cross-legged on my bed and tugged me down with her. "Yes, promise. I wanna hear some details, girl!"

"I don't know, Rose. It was amazing, wonderful, perfect, incredible. I feel like he and I have been friends for the longest time, you know? We ordered food to-go and ate lake-side."

She sighed. "That's so sweet. I'm so happy for you, Bella. And he's coming out on Saturday?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "Now tell me about you and Emmett!"

"Oh, no. There's nothing to tell."

"So you and Emmett…?"

"Yeah. Me and Emmett," she said with a far-away look in her eyes.

"Rosalie Hale! You are so totally in love and you didn't even tell me!"

"What? Bella, I am not in love. Don't be ridiculous! I just…we had a really nice time."

"And…he kissed you?"

"He might have," she suggested.

"So are you guys dating now? Like, officially?" I asked.

"Well, no. We're still testing the waters, you know, getting to know each other. But I really like him."

"Rose, that's so great!" She continued to tell me more details of their date and the time they spent together, and then both of us went to bed exhausted, yet still hopped up on excitement and optimism.

Tuesday brought my mood back down, however. Jessica had spread gossip around the whole hospital that I was banging a patient and cheating on Edward. Angela was the one to bring this to my attention.

"Bella," she began, "I'm not saying that I believe any word that comes out of Jessica's filthy mouth, but she's accusing you of things that don't reflect well on you as a nurse and on us as staff. If it continues to circulate, there's no doubt it will get to the higher-ups. And if they come to me, I really have no idea of what to say. What's been going on, Bella?" I sat down in a chair across from Angela in the lounge with a sigh.

Her tone wasn't one of a parent talking to a child, it rang only of concern. I considered Angela to be one of my very good friends, and here she was trying to build a valid defense in my honor, in case all of this drama came to that, but she had nothing to base it on.

"I'm sorry, Ang. I haven't exactly been a good friend lately. Friday, when I called in sick, I broke up with Edward." I watched Angela process this before I continued. "It just wasn't working. I care about him, but the relationship was becoming too much effort and it was such a struggle to make myself get along with him. So I decided to just take a break, a breather, from all of that and focus on myself."

"What does this have to do with what Jessica is saying?"

"I'm not cheating on Edward, nor did I ever. You know Jessica and I never got along. Meaning, I can't stand her."

Angela chuckled. "It seems a few people feel that way. I'm sorry to hear about you and Edward, but it sounds like you know what you're doing. I already knew that you and Jessica weren't the best of friends, but you always seemed to be able to tolerate her."

"Ang, she's just so shallow and callous that I couldn't do it anymore. I may have snapped on her more than once, which is why she decided to try and get revenge," I admitted.

"What happened?"

"Remember when we had that patient Black? He was transferred from the units and released last week."

"Vaguely."

"Well, I had actually run into him a few times before he became a patient here. It was a coincidence that he came under my care. Jessica took an interest in him, and would have spent all day in his room if I didn't interfere. Anyway, after I broke up with Edward, Jake and I hung out. And I may have let it slip to Jessica that I was going on a date with him, which is when she took the information, twisted it, and ran with what she came up with to make me look horrible."

"So are you seeing this Jacob kid?" She asked, intrigued.

I blushed. "We went out on a date last night. And I'm going to see him again."

She slapped her hand down on the table. "Well, good for you, Bella! Jessica is causing drama needlessly, as usual. Keep your head up; she'll be on to the next thing in no time. I've got your back if she tries to cause trouble." She glanced at her watch. "Now, we have ten minutes before break is over. Tell me about this Jake."

I smiled and told her about Jacob. I told her about running into him at the races and then seeing him at the hospital again.

"So you're dating a celebrity?" She asked with a giggle.

"I don't know about that, Ang. I mean, in the racing world, sure his name holds a lot of power, but one, we're not dating yet, and two, he's just a regular guy."

"That's good to hear. I'd hate to find out he was a player-type like most of those celebrity guys are."

I let her words sink in and for the first time let myself consider this possibility. Jacob was attractive, there was no doubting that, but he had seemed moral and trust-worthy. Was I being naive by thinking that a man with good looks, money, and a sliver of fame was interested in being a one-woman man? I had no reason to think anything to the contrary, but I didn't totally dismiss the idea.

I got a text mid-way through the afternoon that made my heart leap – it was from Jacob. _Hey beautiful,_ it read. _I had a lot of fun with you last night, but I was thinking that you need more practice driving stick. Are you free after your shift?_

_Actually, I am,_ I wrote back only seconds of debating. _I get out at 4._

I stuck my cell phone into the top pocket of my scrubs so I wouldn't miss when it vibrated with the message I was awaiting. But such a message never came. I checked my inbox multiple times for the rest of the afternoon.

I did my best to avoid running into Jessica all day; I was not in any mood to have a confrontation in the middle of the hospital. I wasn't worried at all by her remarks or her choosing me as the topic of her newest gossip.

Even with the way she had twisted the story in her head, I had not done anything wrong. I didn't know what she thought she was going to accomplish, but it wasn't going to bother me.

I was thinking of what to prepare for dinner as I slipped my purse over my shoulder and began the trek to my car in the parking garage across the street. There was always commotion just outside the doors: ambulance sirens blaring and people bustling around patients, a four light intersection to cross the street, and visitors unsure of where to go. I was so used to the expected hustle and bustle that I missed a shiny black mustang idling at the parking garage entrance with a sexy figure leaning against the hood.

He was in black jeans and a blue tee that contrasted nicely against his tan skin, resting effortlessly against the car with his hands in his pockets. When I saw him I immediately pulled the tie out of my hair and tried to fluff it up after smoothing down my plain, unisex blue scrubs.

"Jake? What are you doing here?" I called as I half-jogged to close the distance between us.

"You said you were free after work, right?"

"Yes," I laughed. "But that doesn't mean you have to drive all the way to the hospital and wait for me outside like a stalker. I'm on the fourth level, let me get my car and you can follow me to my place. I'm in an old, red Chevy."

I raced up the eight short flights of stairs to get to my car, quickly unlocked it, and threw myself inside. While I waited for it to warm up, I dug a rarely used bottle of lip-gloss from the bottom pocket of my purse and slicked it across my lips. At least it was something.

Jake swung in drive right behind me once I swiped my card and popped out of the garage. I drove the fifteen minute commute to my house with my eyes in the rearview mirror the entire time. I hoped he couldn't tell I was checking him out.

He parked his car in the spot next to mine and I led him to my condo. I hurried inside and did a quick scan around to make sure the place was decent before opening the front door wide and inviting him in.

"Nice place," he said.

"Thanks." I set my purse down on the table and tried to be a good host. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, I'm okay. Thank you."

"Well, make yourself at home. I hope you don't mind that I run and change…?" I pointed towards the stairs.

"Yeah, no problem."

I tripped on my way up the stairs, probably because I was running when I can barely walk in the first place. After a quick shower, I applied some make-up, pushed my hair back, and put on the first pair of jeans and tee shirt I could find that were fitted and clean.

"Ready to practice?" Jake asked when I met him back downstairs.

"Definitely." Electricity went through my body when he handed me the keys. I wasn't sure if I was more excited to drive the car or spend some more time with Jake.

His fingers brushed against mine before he used both his hands to close the keys in my palm. A tingle went through my skin. Okay, I was more excited to be with Jacob.

"So do you remember what I taught you yesterday?" he asked as we made the walk down the front steps to the lot.

"Use the clutch to change gears; don't let it up too fast or too slow; and watch the rpms," I recited.

He smiled. "Perfect." He held open the driver's side door for me and I started the car. "It's all yours."

I recalled all the information from the night before and successfully started and drove the car around the complex without stalling. "Man, you don't even need me anymore. You can drop me off here; have her back by eleven," he teased.

"Oh, please. I still need you." The words were out before I realized what I said.

"You still need me? And how's that?" He asked.

"I, uh…" I slowed the car down when we reached the stop sign and stalled out purposely when I tried to get back into first. "Oops."

"Here; just restart it." Jacob leaned over and watched my feet on the pedals. "Try to get it in first again." This time, I did it correctly. His large hand rested over mine on the gearshift.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

Jake chuckled. "I'm always hungry, Bella. You'll learn that about me soon enough."

"How does pizza sound? I know this great pizzeria by Neptune Beach. It's about a half hour away, but it's totally worth it. The food is great."

"Sounds great. Lead the way."

"Um…you mean you want me to drive there?"

"Of course," he laughed. "That's why I drove this car to Jacksonville – for you to practice."

"Oh, so you didn't come to see me?" I teased. I realized I had picked up on Jacob's flirty nature and adopted some of it. "And here I was, thinking I was so special to have Jacob Black driving to Jacksonville for me…" I started, quoting his words from when we talked on the phone a few days prior.

"Hey," he said playfully, "you're driving one of my most prized possessions, sweetheart. I'd say you're pretty special. Not many people get to do that."

Cautiously, I turned out of the complex's five mile-per-hour roads and into main traffic. I kept my eyes peeled on the road while continuing the conversation. "Define 'not many'."

"One," he answered.

"Including me?"

"Yup."

"Wow, I do feel special."

"You should."

"So I'm the only girl that's been in this car?" I ventured to ask, and I even snuck a glance over to gage his reaction.

"Yes, although Leah's been itching to get her claws in it. But she has her own."

"She has a mustang, too?" I asked.

"An older one, but it's rarely used. Our garage here and back home is full," he explained.

"How many cars do you have?" I asked, wide-eyed.

Jake chuckled. "A bunch. I have a few; Leah's got a handful. Plus the ones that we race, of course, but those aren't for the streets. We run an auto-shop in La Push and we store some there that we tinker with. "

"Wow. That's awesome."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. If I'm not racing, I'm usually there with the crew. All the guys on the rez between sixteen and twenty-five work there. It's practically become a rite of passage," he joked.

"You work on cars and race?" I asked. My mind was flashing me pictures of Jake covered in grease-stained jeans sliding underneath a car.

Jake entertained me with stories of his days spent working at the garage while I drove to the pizza parlor. It seemed as if he spent more time goofing off with his buddies than actually working.

We ordered and ate in the near-empty parlor. Even though it was still great, warm weather, and the beaches and boardwalks were still running, there were not many tourists. But it always got like that in the fall months.

"Do you want to walk a little on the boardwalk?" Jake asked. He bumped me with his shoulder as we walked out, and used the contact to slide his hand in mine. I intertwined my fingers in his with a smile on my face.

It didn't seem rushed or awkward; it was exactly the opposite – simple and easy. He returned the smile and gestured toward the wooden steps that led to the boardwalk.

I was happy to oblige. It was nice to spend some time in the fresh air with the shinning sun warming my skin. Too many of my days were spent in an air-conditioned hospital with no windows, and too many of my nights were spent in a crowded restaurant or movie theater. So far, all the time I had spent with Jacob had been outdoors. It was a nice change from the pace Edward and I kept. He hated the outdoors so much sometimes I thought he was allergic to the sun.

Jake gasped and my attention was demanded in the present. "Bella, they have go-carts!" He exclaimed. I burst into laughter when I saw the amazed expression on his face. "Do you wanna go?" My answer was barely out of my mouth before he was tugging my hand toward the small track.

The boy behind the counter looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was at that moment, a stark contrast to Jacob's child-like, yet endearing, enthusiasm. I unzipped my pocketbook to produce the cash.

"No, Bella, I got this," Jake insisted as he handed over ten dollars to the boy.

"Jake, you paid for dinner. At least let me pay my own way," I retorted.

He shook his head adamantly and I narrowed my eyes. "Let me be a gentleman, please." I rolled my eyes and put my wallet away with a huff. "I have to be a gentleman now, because when I beat your ass in go-carts, I won't be doing the gentlemanly thing and letting the girl win," he explained with a smirk.

"Oh, it's on. You better watch your back Black, because I can get pretty down and dirty," I said with a wink.

"Are we still talking about go-carts?"

"Jake!" I laughed and smacked his arm in mock offense. When the kid let us into the starting pit, I hurried past Jake and got in the first car in the lineup. It was green and black with the number four painted on the side.

I squeezed into the small seat and clicked the buckle into place. I turned to shoot Jake my most competitive 'in the zone' face, but my façade was ruined once I saw the predicament he was in.

His six-foot-plus frame was not fitting into the tiny go-cart. I burst into laughter at the sight of this big dude trying to squeeze into the seat. He managed to reach the pedals with one foot while the other was pressed against the side of the cart. He sat down and shifted a bit to get comfortable, at the annoyance of the boy in charge.

The employee couldn't be a day over seventeen. Even though it was just Jake and I, he came over to check that both of our safety belts were latched. He slid his hand between my body and the belt and tugged twice to be sure it was snug.

"Watch your hands, kid," Jake growled. I was too busy laughing to take that seriously, although the idea of Jake intimidating a kid on the boardwalk was quite funny.

"You need to put yours on," instructed the boy. I could tell he was doing his best to look unfazed by Jacob's comment, but he wasn't making any move towards Jake's cart.

"Are you serious?" Jake scoffed.

The boy nodded. Jake mumbled underneath his breath and sucked in a breath of air so that he could fir the buckle across his abdomen. "This is ridiculous."

"Safety first," I said.

"You know, you are-"

I floored the gas pedal and took off with loud squeals from the wheels. While Jacob was talking I noticed the boy give us the green light, and used it to my advantage.

I did my best to get my bearings and gain control of the car before Jake caught up. I took the first turn too widely, though, and soon heard the sputtering of another engine on my left.

"I can't believe you cheated!" Jake called over the sound of the cars.

"It's not my fault you're too slow," I shouted back.

"You're gonna regret that," he threatened before his car lurched forward and sped quickly in front of me. I shrieked and pressed the gas pedal all the way to the ground. I must've gotten a slower cart.

We sped around the track a few more times; both of us swapped places a few times. Ultimately, Jake pulled in front of me and reached the ending point a few seconds before me.

He hoped out of the car, raised his arms above his head, and stretched out his whole body. I shamelessly took in the way each muscle contracted and then stretched as he moved. When I reached his eyes, he winked, and I knew I had been caught. Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to care, though.

"C'mon," Jake urged as he held his hand out in my direction.

I followed Jacob to where his attention was now focused. He led me towards that classic boardwalk 'test of strength' game where you hit the pad with a hammer and try to ring the bell at the top. Jake was already handing cash to the employee standing by.

"Are you really gonna do that? I scoffed. "No one ever wins things like this."

Jake rolled his eyes and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Have you seen these biceps lately?" He teased, and then flexed one arm in front of me to make the muscle bulge even bigger than normal. _Damn._

"Yeah," I said, "I have."

Jake grinned. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you were just eye-fucking me at the go-carts."

I cocked my head to the side and playfully batted my eyelashes. "Is that a problem?"

"Hell no," Jake exclaimed. He picked up the hammer. "Please, feel free to eye-fuck me whenever you want."

I giggled and watched as he lifted the hammer-like object above his head and used brute force to bring it back down. It made a loud sound, and we watched the ball go up, up, and up.

The bell began to ring wildly and all the game's light flashed. "Jake! You did it!" He rolled his eyes again in that adorable fashion of his.

"Duh." My cell phone started buzzing in my purse. I searched around for it while Jacob followed another boardwalk employee over to the prize booth.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella, its Angela."

"Hey, Ang. What's up?"

"I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you would be willing to work a double tomorrow. We are short staffed on the night shift and I'm trying to find someone to cover. Obviously, you would have off on Thursday if you can do it."

I heard my name being called and turned around to see Jake as he walked toward me. I could only see his legs and part of his head, but most of his body was hidden behind a giant stuffed pink…thing.

"Yeah, Ang. Sure," I said quickly.

"Great! Thanks, Bella. I'll see you tomorrow."

I pushed my phone into my pocket as Jake neared. "Is that a pig?" I asked.

"No, it's not a pig! It's a hippo. And it's for you," he said.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the big pink animal. "A hippo? It doesn't look like a hippo, Jake. Look at its feet!" I argued. I rubbed my hand across the pink fabric, surprised by how soft and plush it felt.

"It has horns. Clearly, it's a hippo."

I laughed. "Jake, hippos don't have horns."

"Yeah they do! They have those…things…on their head…"

"Ears?"

"Rhinoceros! There. That's what it is," he concluded.

"A rhino only has one horn, and it's on their nose."

He sighed, exasperated. "Damn, fine! I'll just bring it back and get another-"

"No, no!" I held at my arms. "Don't do that! Lemme have my deformed hippo," I cooed and wrapped the animal in my arms.

"Oh, now you want it," Jake teased.

"Of course I want it. I love him."

"I will never understand women," he muttered to himself. I laughed and bumped his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Besides, you can't go to the boardwalk without winning a giant stuffed animal."

"Or getting ice cream," I added.

"Ice cream it is."

**Okkkkayyy, REVIEW! I'd love to know what you think about their date(s). **

** I have chapter 11 started, but not finished :( which is unusual. I'll do my best to keep posting regularly on Mondays..but next week might be a bit late!**


	11. Not Myself Tonight

**I've posted on time! I worked hard on this chapter all week so that I can continue my regular Monday postings! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, nor do I own 'Not Myself Tonight'. They all belong to their respective owners.  
Thank you to bluebaby who is a wonderful beta and soundboard for my ideas. **

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 11** Not Myself Tonight  
**_I'm out of character,  
I'm in rare form,  
And if you really knew me,  
You'd know it's not the norm.  
Cause I'm doing things that I normally don't do..  
The old me's gone,  
And if you don't like it, fuck you  
The music's and I'm dancing  
I'm normally in the corner just standing,  
I'm feeling unusual,  
but I don't care 'cause this is my night  
I'm not myself tonight,  
Tonight I'm not the same girl, same girl_

"Bella!" Rosalie yelled from down the stairs. "Aren't you ready yet? We have to go!"

It was a different kind of experience, a humorous one, to have Rosalie be the one to wait for me for a change.

We were getting ready to leave for the bar on Saturday night, and both of us were excited. Rosalie's friends from work were coming, as well as my Jacob, and Emmett.

"Be right down!" I yelled back.

I took another glimpse in the mirror and pushed my hair over one shoulder after I ran my fingers through the straight strands. I had finally decided on wearing a black mini I had picked up during the week on my own. It hugged my body in the right places and stopped on my upper thighs. The scoop neck line showed just enough skin, and there were studded rhinestones and slinky chains that accentuated the shoulders.

Rosalie had already helped me with a smoky eye but otherwise natural-looking makeup. I slipped into a pair of silver, shiny pumps, grabbed my clutch off the dresser, and hurried downstairs to reach Rose.

"Damn, Bella, you look amazing! But can we go now? Emmett has been waiting outside for twenty minutes already," she whined.

"Yes, yes, c'mon."

I was just as anxious to start the weekend as the next person. After the boardwalk with Jacob on Tuesday, the rest of my week had been hellish. I realized I had agreed to work a double when I got to work on Wednesday morning. I hazily remembered telling Angela I could do it.

It made the middle of my week extremely exhausting, and to get through it I had to remind myself of the wonderful ways my paycheck would be benefitting, and chugged countless cups of coffee. I collapsed onto my bed after a quick shower Thursday morning and slept well into the late afternoon.

Thursday afternoon I dug out some schoolwork and tried to catch up on the work I had been neglecting. It took me hours to complete the study guide for my final exam that seemed to be creeping up on me. I had a paper to finish, and by the time that was done I was ready for bed again.

The only relief I got was an unexpected phone call from Jacob on Thursday night. I was getting ready for bed when he called, but stayed up a little while longer to chat.

Friday found me back to work, and back to more drama via Jessica. She was relentless, and apparently nothing else exciting was happening in her life because she was doing her damned best to ruin mine. Angela pulled me aside in the break room and mentioned all the remarks and comments she had been posting on Facebook that were not so subtly directed towards me, as well as her comments on Edward's page.

I told Angela that Jessica's actions were trivial, and I wasn't concerned in the slightest. If she wanted to chat up Edward, she could be my guest. I knew for a fact that he would never give her the time of day, not that it mattered to me at the moment.

And now we were finally on our way to the bar where I would be able to spend some more time with Jacob, and introduce him to my friends. Rosalie was excited to officially meet him, too.

I climbed in the backseat of Emmett's open back jeep and Rosalie slid into the front.

"Hey, Em," I called.

He turned around in his seat. "Hey, Bells." He was about to turn around when he did a double take and I had to suppress a giggle. "Damn, little sis, what happened to you?"

I laughed. "Do you like it?"

He grumbled. "Not really. 'Cause now it means my whole night is going to be spent warding off the guys from you."

"Emmett…" Rosalie warned.

He slumped back in his seat. "Fine, I'll leave her alone. Hi, Rose." He leaned over in his chair to greet her with a peck on the cheek.

Rose gave directions to Emmett from the front seat while I tried to keep my hair looking manageable. With the wind from the open top of the jeep, it wasn't going well. I wished we had taken my car; or even Rosalie's with the top up.

Once we were on the main road that was going to take us there, Emmett searched for my eyes in the rearview mirror. "Sorry if I offended you, Bella, I can't help but be protective of you; you're like a little sister to me, you know that though. You look great. Single looks good on you."

I blushed and cast my eyes down.

"Hey, no hard feelings. You're still my little sis, no matter what."

"Thanks, Em," I said softly, although I wasn't sure if he heard me over the ripple of wind through the car. I knew he was referring to my and Edward's break up; it was the first time he seemed to acknowledge it in front of me. I'm sure by now word got around to the Cullen family that they should no longer continue planning for a wedding.

I wasn't going to let those thoughts plague me any longer however, and I was glad to see that Emmett didn't harbor any disdain toward me for the way things went. I guess we would see if he felt the same way when he met Jacob tonight.

Rose and Em began chatting in the front seats, and my mind wandered elsewhere. I tugged at the hem of my skirt, and began to get worried that I should have picked a different outfit. I wasn't sure if Jacob would think it was too much; I knew if Edward saw it, he wouldn't like it.

My fears were dissipated though upon entering the bar. It was crowded, as to be expected on a Saturday night. I think Rosalie had mentioned she had been her a few times before, but I hadn't. I took in the scene around me.

There was a huge diamond shaped bar smack in the middle of the space, with lines of high stools on the sides. The countertops were glass and lit up with bright colored lights underneath. Glass lined the ceiling in the middle as well, so everything was reflected. Off to the two sides, there were private tables as well as circular couches with half-walls built around them for a semblance of privacy. There were several flat screens on the walls and around the bar and colorful drapes in bright colors used as projection screens.

Between the diamond bar and the two sides were rectangular spaces on the floor also flashing with lights of changing yet flowing colors. It was already crowded with dancing bodies. Emmett made his way through the tight throngs of people and held Rose's hand behind him. I latched on to her hand and we formed a chain to cut through the people.

The music was successfully rattling my brain by the time we discovered the table that Vera and Riley had reserved. I hugged each one of them while saying hello.

"I'm going to go find Jake," I told Rose. "I'll get drinks, too, what do you want?"

Rose waved me off. "Don't worry, Bella. Em and I can get our own. Thanks, though."

I shrugged, brushed off my dress, and dove into the masses of people to find Jake. It was a little after the time I had told him to meet us here, since Emmett and Rosalie and I were a bit late. I weaved my way through the space, looking out for a pair of eyes that I recognized.

I was about to give up and just call him when I spotted Jake seated at the far end of the bar, as he lazily nursed a corona. Thankfully, the stool next to him was open, so I hopped right on and turned to face him. A line that Rosalie told me a guy used on her once popped into my head.

"You know, you look a lot like the guy in my dreams last night," I teased.

Jake had the bottle to his lips, but his eyes searched in my direction. I gave him a wink and a cute little wave, trying hard not to start laughing.

"Fuck, Bella. You look hot!"

His beer already forgotten, he kissed me urgently on the lips while I was unsuspecting. It was too much, yet not enough all at the same time. I don't know how he did these things to me.

"Thanks," I giggled.

"Let me get you a drink." He waved the bartender over, but his eyes never left me. I felt like he was searching every inch of me, from my legs up to my eyes, and I was perfectly fine with it.

I turned towards the bartender, and I made sure to lean my elbows on the bar and stick my ass out a bit. I heard a strangled whimper from Jake but pretended I didn't hear it.

"What can I get you?" Asked the man behind the bar.

"Hmmm. Surprise me," I answered with a wink.

If I was watching this from the outside, I would definitely have my jaw dropped. This was so not the Bella everybody was used to; it was pretty much a one-eighty difference from the shy, subtle Bella. I liked the new me a lot more.

I stood straight again and faced Jake while we waited for my drink and a refill for him. "Have you been waiting here long?"

"No," he shook his head. "I probably got here ten minutes ago."

"Oh, well you were on time then. I was a little late; I took some extra time to get ready."

"It totally paid off."

"You think?" I laughed and did a quick spin. Jake pulled me close and pressed my body against his. I could feel the hard lines of definition and his chiseled chest underneath the thin shirt.

"Absolutely."

I grabbed my drink once the bartender slid it towards me and tentatively took a sip. It was delicious. I shot a curious glance to the bartender, who smirked.

"Cranberry juice and vodka," he informed me before he continued on to the next customer. Jake pushed cash into the tip jar after paying him, and took up his beer.

"Anyway, my friends are at a table over there; do you want to go meet them?" I pointed over my shoulder in the direction of our group.

"Sure, sure." I held out my hand and Jake clasped his own over mine before I led him to our table. Riley, Rosalie, and Emmett were there, but Vera had already disappeared somewhere. I let go of Jake's hand and linked my arms through his.

"Jake, this is Riley, Rosalie, and Emmett," I said by way of introduction. "This is Jake." Jake shook hands with each of them, and while his attention was diverted, Rosalie turned her head towards me and winked with wide eyes.

I snuck a glance over at Emmett, unsure of how he was going to react. Obviously, he would recognize Jacob's name from the races. My worry subsided when it didn't seem to faze him.

"Are you the Rosalie trying to land a meeting with Leah?" Jake asked when he turned to greet Rose.

She cocked her head curiously. I probably should have mentioned to her that I learned Jacob and Leah race for the same team, and to represent her would mean to represent Jacob as well.

"Yes. Rosalie Hale," she said professionally and stuck out her hand.

"I didn't know you were a friend of Bella's. I've heard the team mention meeting you at the races the other weekend."

"Yes, I passed along my card. Do you know Miss Clearwater well?"

Jake chuckled. "We race under the same team."

"Oh!" Rose's eyes got wide with the disclosure of information, and then she shot me a quick pointed look that I didn't miss. "That's wonderful."

"It is. I will definitely make sure our team sets up a meeting with you. We need a good agent behind us to make sure we all stay in line."

"That would be great."

Soon Rosalie pushed me aside for the conversation I knew would be coming. Jacob was busy sitting with Emmett and Riley.

"How come you didn't tell me Jacob raced with Leah?" She whispered to me loudly.

I shrugged. "I guess I forgot. I'm sorry, Rose. "

"It's fine. It's beyond fine – he's going to set up a meeting for all of us! Bella," she continued, and her voice fell into a serious tone, "I think you have to marry him!"

I burst into laughter and drew the attention of a few people around us. "You really are crazy, Rose."

She bantered on for a few more minutes about how gorgeous and wonderful he was, and how great it would be to work for a team like his. I simply nodded my head and took large sips of my drink until it was gone. Emmett and Jacob interrupted our girl pow-wow, and I took the opportunity to get a refill.

Jake followed me to the bar with his hand resting on my lower back. I ordered another drink and finished it before we left the bar again.

"Dance with me," Jake insisted. He tugged on my hand as he began to slowly move backwards towards the colorful tiles on the floor, which I assumed were designated for dancing.

"'Kay." I let him lead me to the floor, where he pulled me tight to his body and closed the space between us. This time, it wasn't uncomfortable, and I wasn't worried about making a fool of myself.

I found the rhythm of the bass and moved my hips side to side, just by switching my weight from my right leg to my left. I considered moving my feet too, but at the moment the heels I wore were hindering me.

"I like your friends," Jake said. He wrapped his two big, solid arms around my lower back and rested them there, and I clasped my hands together behind his neck.

I glanced around in search of Rose or Riley or Vera. I found Rose and Emmett dancing across the floor, but no signs of the others.

"Thanks. I've known Rose since I moved to Florida; we met in a business class we both had to take."

Jake nodded. "She's a driven woman," he laughed. "I hate to admit this, but I'm kind of intimidated."

I giggled. "She has that effect on people." The music got louder, conversation forgotten, and I pressed my body more firmly against Jacob's. He slid one of his hands down to the top curve of my ass. I looked up at him with a mischievous glint in my eyes, and leaned my upper body back until my hair was brushing against his hands.

His eyes darkened and he leaned over to press his lips against the bare skin of at the hollow of my throat that was exposed. With the hands that were on my back, he pulled my hips into his, hard. I wasn't aware that the song had changed, or that my dress was riding higher up my thighs from our movements.

My only receptor that was working was touch, and it was running in overdrive. My eyes fell shut and I could picture the scene without watching. Jake's strong hips were sliding against mine, which caused shockwaves through my body to the tips of my toes. One hand was on my back, the other held me close by the waist. Warmth showered my throat, neck, and jaw, where he placed heated kisses with his mouth.

A moan came from my throat, and I opened my eyes to watch Jacob's reaction. He lifted his lips from my throat and watched me like I imagined a predator would stalk its prey. I felt an urgent desire bubbling inside of me, but didn't know what I could possibly do about it here. I pictured that aggressive, I-need-you-now kind of scene that was flashing before me in my mind.

I moved my hands down Jake's arms until I got to his elbows. I tightly wrapped my fingers around the muscle that started there, even though my fingers didn't reach all the way around.

I moved both hands up his arms, slowly and greedily, all the way up to his shoulders, where I crept underneath the fabric of his shirt to reach further.

I clawed against his flesh with my nails, but not hard enough to break the skin. Only hard enough to make my motives clear, I hoped.

"Fuck, Bella," he muttered before he captured my lips with his own. It was dominating and forceful in just the right amounts. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and battled with my own. He may be an alpha male, but I was in no mood to be playing the submissive one.

We broke away for air; I had to take in huge breaths to allow oxygen to my brain again. My eyes darted to where my hands were on Jake's body. The sleeves of his shirt were bunched up at the tips of my fingers, so his taught, russet shoulders were exposed.

"You have a tattoo?"

Jake looked confused for a second before he caught up to me. I couldn't blame him, my line of though switched pretty rapidly as well, in effect breaking the mood a little bit.

He turned his shoulder so it was somewhat in front of his body, and held up the sleeve while my fingers traced the dark ink on his shoulder.

"I love it," I murmured, still entranced by the artwork.

"Thanks." On his upper shoulder were three grey wolves with penetrating eyes. They looked eerily real. One stood out, right in the center, with a line of color filling the eyes. Its face looked pensive and wise, and almost more than just a wolf. Two smaller wolves flanked the one in the middle with protective glares. Each was different and had something special about it, but the grays and blacks of the ink blended together so perfectly to make one solid image.

"That was the first one I got."

My eyes widened and I searched the rest of his skin that I could see, and looked for another. He chuckled and lifted his shirt by the hem. My eyes were drawn to the black lettering scrawled down his side. I was momentarily distracted when I saw his naked chest for the first time, however. His torso was all tight muscle, and it ended with a deep 'v' at his hips. My eyes followed the defined lines lower and lower until his jeans prevented me from continuing.

I swallowed and traced each letter of his second tattoo with my eyes. In bold, black, cursive lettering were the words 'Live to Ride'. It started high on his side, right underneath his arm, and the tip of the last 'e' disappeared underneath his jeans. If he lowered his arm down at his side, the entire tattoo would mostly be hidden.

Emmett and Rose were suddenly beside us as they danced. Jake and I had stopped moving while I admired his ink.

"Keep your clothes on, Black," Emmett chuckled. Rosalie rolled her eyes. Jake laughed and let go of the hem of his shirt so it fell back in place.

"I want a tattoo," I announced. "And another drink."

"Got it." Jake disappeared through the crowd and I was let with Rose and Emmett.

"Are you having fun?" Rose asked.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I really like this place. We should come here again."

Rose agreed. "We will."

Jake returned with a long, narrow glass that I quickly sipped from. All the dancing and grinding had gotten me hot. I didn't find it important that I hadn't eaten much since lunch and in two in a half hour's time consumed three drinks.

I handed the glass back to Jake. "Mmm, thanks. Now, tattoo time."

Emmett looked at me quizzically. "Tattoo?" He was probably the only one out of us with the least alcohol in his system, thus the one with the most responsible brain at the moment. I laughed to myself at that thought. Emmett's the responsible one? That doesn't say much.

Rosalie had downed a few drinks more than me, but she could hold her liquor better. I was still a newbie. Even so, she jumped on the bandwagon.

"Ooh, that sounds fun!"

"You wanna get one with me?" I asked, excited.

"Yes, I have the best idea for one! Let's go. I'll tell Vera and Riley that we're leaving." She sped in the direction of our other two bar-goers. Emmett shook his head with a smile on his face.

"We'll meet you guys in the parking lot," he said before he followed after Rose.

Jake wrapped his hands around my waist again, and I turned to face him. "You want to go get a tattoo. Right now."

"Yup."

"Sexy and spontaenous. I love it."

I looked for Jake's mustang in the parking lot once we were outside, but couldn't spot it.

"How did you get here?"

He pointed his keys in the direction of a deep blue Audi a5 coupe. He pressed one of the buttons on the key he was holding and the lights flashed.

"What happened to the mustang?" I asked as he opened the passenger door for me and I slid in.

Jake shrugged. "I felt like driving this." I rolled my eyes with a laugh and explored the car. It was low to the ground, like the mustang, but the interior was a light gray. It was a sports car for sure, but more on the fancier, luxury side than the mustang, which was more raw power and engine.

The tattoo parlor we stumbled upon was on the corner of a strip of stores. We hurried inside at the late hour after we waited for Emmett and Rosalie to find us.

There was a lean woman behind a desk in the front, both of her arms covered in sleeves of ink with eye-catching color. She looked bored and irritated.

Rose popped up to the counter and greeted the woman. She gestured between herself and me. "Hello. We want tattoos."

The woman raised an eyebrow and took in Rosalie's girly, five foot seven frame and blonde curls. She simply nodded once without a word and called two men out from the back. She handed Rosalie and I a binder with laminated pages of samples that we eagerly flipped through. The woman went back to what she was doing.

Jake looked at the book from over my shoulder, as Emmett did to Rosalie. They each pointed out ones that they liked, but Rose and I were determined to pick the perfect ones. One of the smaller ones on the last page caught my eye.

Two big, burly men in black tee shirts stalked out from behind a curtain in the back. They introduced themselves to us, and tried to help give us ideas. Rose and I parted ways for a moment to speak with them.

I tried to explain my vision to Jeff, my tattoo artist, while he sketched frantically on a black sheet. He held up the design to me when he was finished. I gasped. "It's perfect!"

It was probably around two in the morning when we walked out of the shop; Rosalie and I freshly inked, and with specific aftercare instructions.

Jacob sat with me and held my hand throughout the entire process, as well as watched and gave me a play-by-play of how awesome it looked. I couldn't look because I knew there was a needle. It was a little painful, but mostly uncomfortable to sit so still, in a dress, for the amount of time it took.

"Rose, let me see yours!" She laughed and spun around, pushing stray strands of hair out of the way. On her upper back, by her shoulder, was a medium sized, delicate looking, beautiful red rose. It was a deep red hue with other shades of color, and had dark green leaves around it.

"Oh my God! I love it! Rosalie got a rose!"

Jake chucked beside me. "That's classic, Rosalie. It looks really nice."

"Thanks. Where's yours Bella?" She asked after she turned around.

I cast my eyes downward and turned my leg out. On the inside of my ankle was where I had finally decided to get it done. It was a picture of a lone wolf, its head cast up in a howl. Jeff had improvised and added a moon above and behind its head. It was mostly black, but had some lines of blue and gray added into the wolf's fur. The moon was a hollow circle, but it didn't look flat either. It had shading on the bottom in grays and a stunning purple color.

"Wow," Rose exclaimed. "He did a great job. That looks amazing, Bella."

Was it weird that I had gotten a wolf tattoo, just like Jacob had a wolf tattoo? Possibly, but I couldn't bring myself to care. It hadn't been my intention, but when I saw the picture of a wolf in the sample book, it struck me and after I saw it I couldn't picture getting anything else. Jake didn't seem to think it was weird either.

Rose held up her hand for a high-five. "We are some badass ladies."

"Damn right we are!" Emmett, who was already used to our antics, shook his head in humor.

Jake wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, and almost lifted me off the ground.

"Very badass," he agreed. "It's unbelievably sexy."

"Thank you, Jacob," Rose said pointedly, and gave Emmett a hard stare. He held his hands up in surrender.

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"Jacob likes our tattoos," she said.

"So do I, babe. I was there with you, supporting you when you got it, wasn't I?"

"Yes but-"

Emmett pulled Rosalie to him and silenced her with a kiss on the mouth. I noticed how she relaxed into his embrace. She watched him cautiously when they parted.

"I love your tattoo, Rosie. It's hot." She seemed satisfied enough with his answer, and let the matter go.

Jake yawned and lifted his arms above his head in a languid stretch. "I am so not looking forward to the drive back home."

I leaned into his chest and he rested his arms around my shoulders, which effectively warmed me in spite of the chilly, night breeze that had developed.

"You could stay down here," I offered. "And drive back tomorrow."

"Nah, I don't feel like looking for a hotel right now."

"No, not a hotel. Emmett," I started, "can Jake crash at your place? You have an extra bed, right?"

"Uh…" Emmett looked somewhat uncomfortable but I couldn't figure out why. He had seemed like he got along with Jake really well.

Rose interrupted and pulled me to the side. "Do you really want your new man to stay at a house that belongs to your ex-boyfriend? Who still currently resides there?" She whispered.

"Oh. Right. Bad idea." I turned back to the group. "Never mind, Em." He nodded with a grateful expression on his face. He was most likely glad that Rose had explained it, and he didn't have to say anything.

"It's okay," Jake said. "I'll be fine driving back." I gave Em and Rosalie hugs before they drove off. Jacob had insisted on driving me home. We were still standing outside the car when I spoke again.

"Do you…do you want to stay at my place?"

**Soooo? What do you think! Please review, I'd love to know.  
It may seem that Bella was a bit OOC in this chapter, but this is the Bella I imagine she could become if she was left unhindered by Edward.**


	12. Teenage Dream

**It's not Monday. I'm well aware of that fact. For some reason I was having a problem updating on this site. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any aspect of Twilight. I also don't own Katy Perry's song, Teenage Dream.**

**A HUGE thank you and hugs to my beta, bluebaby who edited this chapter TWICE in one hour so that I could get it posted quicker. Ya'll should be sending thanks her way :) Also, thanks to August Shaffer for the tips !**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 12 _Teenage Dream  
Before you met me,  
I was a wreck,  
But things were kinda heavy,  
You brought me to life again.  
You got me feel like I'm living a teenage dream,  
The way you turn me on.._

"I'll go slowly so you can keep up," Jacob teased. It was mid-morning on Sunday and Jake had invited me to spend the day with him in Gainesville.

I rolled my eyes and swatted his arm. "That's not funny. My truck can only handle 55."

He chuckled and stalked closer to me so that I was between his body and his car. He held onto my hips with both his hands, and ducked his head down to kiss my lips.

My eyes fluttered close as I responded to his movements. I could feel his breath on my lips as he spoke.

"55? I can _run_ the entire way beside your truck in that case."

"I'd like to see that." He kissed me playfully before I could say anything more.

"Are you sure…you don't…want me to drive?" He asked between kisses.

I lowered my mouth to grace my lips against his neck as I shook my head. He hummed in contentment.

"If you drive then that means you have to drive all the way back here to bring me home and then drive all the way back. We won't have any time to spend together. We can't really do much if we're driving the whole time," I reasoned.

"It only takes one hand to drive," Jake smirked. I blushed at the implication of his words and burrowed my head in his tee shirt so he couldn't see my face.

"We're going to be late for the movie," I muttered into his chest.

"Yeah, especially with you driving 55!" I looked up and narrowed my eyes at Jacob.

"Don't look at me that way," he playfully threatened. "You know it's true."

"Whatever." I pressed both my hands against his chest and shoved to get some of his weight off me so I could escape his embrace.

"Aw, Bells. Don't be mad." He cupped my chin in his large hands and directed my gaze to his face.

"Bells?" I asked.

The corner of Jake's mouth turned up in a half-grin and he looked like a young boy for a second. "Is that okay?"

My mind flashed me memories trigged by my father's nickname for me, Bells. He was the only one who ever called me that; the nickname never caught on with anyone else.

For some reason, it seemed sweet coming from Jake, and I didn't mind. I nodded in affirmation. "Yes. I like it."

"Good." He lowered his head and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I made fun of your truck."

"It's okay."

"Are you sure it won't just be easier for us to ride together, though? I don't mind driving you back, or you can just crash at my place."

"I can't. I have work tomorrow."

"Alright." Jake explained to me a brief set of directions we would take after getting off the exit, just in case we were separated and I had to find my own way. I was still wedged between his body and the car.

"Jake," I giggled, "you have to let me go so I can get to my car."

"I don't want to," he whined. "You feel so good right here." He punctuated his words by leaning his body even more into mine. His hands slipped between the hem of my shirt, where a sliver of bare skin was exposed, and inched higher. I gasped when he latched his lips onto my neck and delivered hot kisses with his mouth before sliding his tongue across my now sensitive skin. I let out a quiet whimper and prayed that the neighbors weren't watching.

We were interrupted by a rumble that came from Jacob's stomach. I looked up at him quizzically, but he just shrugged.

"We just ate!"

He laughed it off with a smile on his face and backed away a bit to let me get my balance. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and he kissed me swiftly once more before we headed to separate cars. I couldn't imagine how Jacob could possibly be hungry. I had made us a huge breakfast spread and between the both of us, there was nothing leftover.

The night had been exhausting, and by the time we pulled into my condo, all I wanted to do was sleep. I pulled out spare blankets from a closet and gave Jacob two pillows from my bed. We had made out a little before I tripped up the stairs to my room, but it wasn't anything more than what we had done at the club.

I was glad the next morning when I woke up and found Jake to be still asleep. I threw on pajama pants and an extra long tee shirt and padded down the stairs to make us breakfast. That had led to us talking about our days, and Jacob invited me to catch a movie and hang out with him in Gainesville.

We did eventually make it to the movie on time, but I couldn't remember what we saw. I remember Jacob loading up on popcorn and nachos and candy and I remember climbing to the absolute top row in the semi-crowded theater.

I sat back in my chair and started to get into the movie when I felt a something on my leg. Jacob rested his hand right about the joint of my knee; a ticklish spot. I squirmed a bit under his grasp. He didn't remove his hand, and I didn't want him to. I knew he was taking advantage of both the dark movie theater and my short skirt.

A moment after I relaxed again, his warm, rough hand traced up and down my thigh with a feather-like touch. It was enough to get my body humming in anticipation. He pressed his index and middle fingers a little harder on my leg and I could feel him making circles on my flesh. It got closer and closer to my inner thigh each time he circled. I uncrossed my legs and gave him room to continue.

Then, when he inched his way to my inner thigh, his fingers also began to slide up my leg in the most torturous pleasure. When they slipped underneath the bottom edge of my skirt, a gasp came from my mouth. I bit my lip to prevent an embarrassingly loud moan and quickly scanned the rest of the audience. To my relief, no one was watching us.

I turned to peek at Jake, but his eyes were dutifully placed on the screen. In the white glow of reflected light I could make out the smug grin that twitched at the corners of his mouth. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

The hem of my skirt rode up on my legs a little further with each increase of his movements. He stopped before he reached where I wanted him to be the most. I knew I had to be seriously deluded to not care that we were in a crowded, public place.

All of my focus and rapt attention was on where his fingers were, but he had stopped moving and was resting his hand against me, like it was a natural position to be in. Every so often I would feel him caress my skin, and it sent delicious shivers up my spine.

I did my best to keep my composure each time he did this, but one particular time I snuck a glance at him. I was surprised to see him watching me. He held his other hand up to cup my face and turned his body in his seat to face me while he captured my lips in a fiery kiss.

I understood the concept of the top row of the theater, now. I kissed him back with as much force as I could, provided that we weren't exactly in optimal positions. Somehow, after a few seconds, we made it work.

I felt him run his tongue across my bottom lip and I opened my mouth slightly. His tongue danced with my own until we found a comfortable rhythm. He pulled my head closer to his and sucked my bottom lip in his mouth.

I felt like a teenager as we made-out in the back of the movie theater, yet I didn't care if it seemed like a juvenile thing to do. Besides, I didn't know anyone around us, and I didn't particularly care about what they thought.

The lights went on at the end of the film, and Jake and I stood up with the rest of the crowd to file out. He stretched in that way where I could shamelessly watch each of the muscles in his arm flex and relax. He held out his hand towards me and I slipped my own into it while he led us out to our cars.

Evening had begun to fall, and the air had a cool chill to it; my arms broke out in goose bumps. Jacob must've noticed because he pulled me into the side of his body.

"You must never get cold. You're body is so warm compared to mine."

He shrugged. "Hot-blooded." Our cars were parked next to each other with was convenient. Jacob leaned into the passenger seat of his car and pulled out a leather jacket before he handed it to me.

"Here."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine," I insisted.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't be stubborn, Bells. Just take it." He held it open to me so I could easily slip my arms inside. I turned around and did just that. My arms went through the sleeves effortlessly and the jacket slumped around my shoulders. It was a little bit heavy, but had the desired effect which was to warm me up. I could only imagine what Jake looked like in this jacket.

It smelt like him and I wrapped it tighter around myself to make it fit more instead of hanging on me.

"Looks good on you," Jake said.

"Thanks."

"No problem. So you can follow me back to the house. It's not too far from here."

"Okay, that's fine. Are your friends going to be there?"

"Yeah, probably. I'll apologize in advance," he laughed.

I opened the door to my truck and Jake politely held it open while I climbed in. I gave him a smile before I shut it and stuck my key in the battered ignition. He got into his own car and it started with a smooth purr.

My truck, on the other hand, sputtered a few times at first, which wasn't unusual, but this time it didn't grumble to life afterwards. It coughed and sputtered and choked, but never started. I frowned and tried again; it made the same noises. I bit my lip and tried a third time, but when it still didn't start I let me head fall against the steering wheel. _Does this really have to happen now?_

Jacob was looking at me expectantly through the passenger window of his own car. I pulled the key out of the ignition and held it up with a shrug in defeat. I heard his car cut off, and in seconds he was at my door.

I rolled the window down and leaned over it. "Won't start," I announced.

"I see that."

I sighed and rested my head on my leather-clad arms. "Maybe if I wait and try it again in a few minutes…"

"Yeah. I don't think so," Jake replied.

"I'm so sorry. I have the worst timing in the world."

"It's not your fault, Bells." He dug out a phone from his pocket and I watched him press a few buttons.

"What are you doing?"

"I can call a tow truck to take it back to my place, if that's alright with you. I don't have jumper cables on me otherwise I would try that. Me and the guys can take a look at it back at our place."

"Oh. Okay."

He took a few steps away and talked into the phone to the person on the other end of the line.

I really hoped I didn't have to start looking for another means of transportation. I loved my truck, even though it wasn't the ideal ride to most. And this kind of put a dent in our plans.

Jacob jogged back over to my window. "Okay, so they should be here in ten. You can ride with me to my house, and we'll take a look at it from there."

"Alright." Jake opened the cab's door and held out a hand for assistance. I gladly took it and hopped down.

"So you don't mind hanging out at my place for a little bit?" He asked. "Or do you want to go out?"

"No, that's fine. Whatever you want."

"I want you to meet the guys, my crew." I had to admit I was nervous when I heard Jake say that. I wanted his friends to like me, of course, and I wondered if they would.

"Okay. They're all still here in Florida?"

"Yeah, for now. My dad, too, but I think he's flying back tomorrow." Jake leaned back up against his car with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes straining against the sun. _So damn sexy._

"Cool," I managed to get out.

"Leah, too. She's at the house. I always just say 'the guys'. She hates when we do that."

"I can understand why."

Jake shrugged. "I know. We're working on it."

I nodded and looked off into the space of the parking lot to look for the tow truck. I hoped I had enough cash on me to pay for it; I couldn't remember what I left the house with.

"It'll be here," Jake chuckled. "Just relax, you're worrying too much."

I gave him a small smile and he held his arms out to me. "C'mere." He gestured for me to go over to him.

I sighed and walked into his solid embrace. My head was at the height right below his chin and I fell into him as he steadied me with his strong arms. He gently moved his hands up and down my back over the jacket in a soothing motion, and then rested them on my hips and kissed my forehead sweetly. I placed my chin against his chest and looked up to find my emotions reflected in his eyes – pure adoration and love.

_Wait a minute, love? Where the fuck did that come from? I've know him for a little more than a week and my brain is already throwing around the "L" word._

I banished the thought from my mind as fast as it had entered. I backed up a step nervously at the same time that a noisy truck came barreling into the lot.

"Trucks here," I mumbled.

It took a frustrating half hour to get my poor truck hauled up onto the bed and all chained up. Jake gave the man directions to his place and we got in his car to finally make our way there.

"Oh my God, this house is so beautiful, Jake," I gushed when we pulled up to a beige mansion that sat on a lush green lawn.

He drove up the circular driveway and parked the audi in the front, right by the doors. It was times like this that made me remember Jake was rich and famous.

It looked serene and peaceful, but Jake assured me that the inside would be far from that. I stood in front of the house and awed over every detail while Jake once again gave instructions to the tow truck driver, who left my truck in the drive as well.

He led me through the front door and I slipped off his jacket. The foyer was covered with tiled floors and the walls consisted of mostly windows which let the Florida sky seep in. Potted plants sat adjacent to a regal looking bench on the right wall; opposite that was a stunning staircase that curved up to the second floor.

Jake slung his jacket over the railing of the staircase and I followed him further into the house. "Let me introduce you to the crew and then we'll see if we can figure out what's wrong with your truck."

"Okay."

I followed Jacob through a den and an elegant dining room before he stopped and swung open a plain, white door. He hopped down another flight of stairs as I cautiously trailed behind. Downstairs was like an entirely different world. The last few steps vibrated with the force of the speakers that pumped out music from a source somewhere in the room. Combined with that, I heard sound effects that were most likely coming from a video game that was playing out on a big flat screen on one wall.

There was a bar along one wall with a few stools around it, and two glass sliding patio doors looking out to the lush green lawn and what looked like the edge of a pool in the backyard. This must have been a soundproof basement because I didn't hear one decibel of this noise from the upstairs level.

"Is this what you guys do all day while the boss is away?" Jake shouted over the volume in the room. One of the big guys leaped from the couch and turned down a knob on the stereo. I was somewhat hidden behind Jacob; I peered over his shoulder at the audience in the room.

"Jake!" I heard someone bellow.

"We were just…working on budget!" Another interjected.

Jacob laughed and held his hand out to me from behind his back. "Yeah, right. If I left you guys in charge of budget we'd be completely fucked." He stepped to the side and dropped my hand so he could put his arm around my waist.

"This is Bella," he said. "Bella, meet the crew." Shouting and talking ensued and I could barely hear one voice over another. I looked around with an uncomfortable and forced smile and tried to take everything in.

"Whoa!" Jake held up his hand. "Okay so, that's Embry, Quil, Seth, Brady, and Collin." Jake pointed at each one of the men as he named them. I smiled at each of them and repeated their names in my head.

The guys all looked similar, and I realized that it must be because of their shared heritage. Jacob had mentioned that his crew was all from back home on the reservation. They each had deep, rich skin tones and dark hair.

Embry was tall, probably a few inches over six feet, and he was a bit less burly than some of the others. He stood up and held out his hand after Jake was finished with his roll call.

Individually I said hello to each one of them after that. Jacob led me by the waist until we were in front of the large, beige couch. He lazily plopped down in one corner and I stood for a moment awkwardly before he tugged me onto his lap.

"Where's everybody else?" He asked.

One of the younger ones, Brady I think, turned his head away from the television screen for a moment to answer Jake. "Sam, Paul, and Jared are messing around with the funny car out back. Your Dad's out there hollering and telling them how to do it, and Leah's in the pool." He turned back to face the screen and apparently didn't like what he saw. "Collin, what the hell? I thought you were on my team!" He frantically began to move his hands over the video game controller in his hands as Jacob watched with humor.

Jake caught my glance and rolled his eyes. Embry sat down in one of the large beanbag type of things that was on the floor next to the couch. "So, Jake said he met you at the races?" He asked me.

"Yes, originally."

"So you a gear head, too?"

"Um, I guess. That was actually the first time I've seen the races in person. But I love watching them."

"Oh, yeah? Which was your favorite run?"

"Mine, of course," Jacob scoffed from behind.

I giggled. "How do you know that, Jake?"

"Are you saying it wasn't?" He teased.

"No, I'm not saying that."

"Okay then."

I turned back to face Embry and answered him with a loud stage whisper. "My favorite _was_ Jacob's, but don't tell him because he'll get an even bigger head than he already has."

"Ah, but there's no stopping that sweetheart," he chuckled.

When I turned to look back at Jake again, something behind him in the room caught my eye. "You have a pool table?"

"Hell yeah," Quil answered. "We don't do anything half-assed."

The pool table was across from the bar with a rack or the pool sticks hung behind it. Against that same wall, adjacent to the rack, were three of those arcade games that I had only seen at old-school arcades. Two of them had seats with pedals and a gearshift, of course.

"I've never played pool before," I said.

"You've never shot a game of pool?" Quil asked, incredulous.

"Nope." Okay, so maybe that wasn't the whole truth. My step-dad taught me to play when he was first dating my mom, and he was trying to get me to warm up to him. It was kind of our thing; when my mother would push us out of the house to get to know each other, we ended up shooting pool. Despite my clumsiness and lack of hand-eye coordination, I was actually pretty good. We'd played countless times together, but I'd never actually played a game of pool. So it wasn't a lie…technically.

"Oh, we have to now." He stood up and left his game controller forgotten on the floor.

"I'm in," Embry followed.

Jake pushed back my hair from my neck and twisted some around his fingers absentmindedly. "Do you want to play?"

"Yeah, sure." I jumped up from his lap and grabbed his arms to pull him up as well. I didn't take into account the fact that he weighed a lot more than I could pull up. I yanked one of his arms with both of mine, and he chuckled and stood up at the same time, which led to him crashing into me.

I began to fall backwards until his quick hands wrapped around me back to keep me upright. He kissed me, too, but I couldn't enjoy it much because we were interrupted.

"Hey, are we gonna play or are you two gonna fuck around all day?"

"Shut up, Quil," Jake said without turning around.

We walked over to the pool table and Embry handed us each a cue stick.

"Me and Bella are a team," Jake called.

"Jake, I don't even know what I'm doing yet." Again, another fib. I had already said that I'd never played before, so I couldn't go back on that now. Besides, the idea of Jacob showing me how to play, putting his arms around me from behind…_yeah, I'd forget how to play pool for that_.

"S'ok. I'm a good teacher." _Perfect._

I watched intently as Quil racked the balls and explained the game to me as he did. They were in a perfect triangle in the middle of the felt table. "I'll go first since you can watch and see how to do it."

The balls flew across the table with a loud crack as they all went in separate directions. I couldn't keep track of all of them. I watched him expertly sink a few more in until it was our turn.

"Okay, Bells, you're up. We're stripes, so you have to hit the white ball at one of the others to try and sink a stripe."

"Ummm…okay." I hadn't taken into an account that I was a terrible liar, but hopefully no one caught on.

I bit my lip and stared at the board with a pensive look on my face, or what I hoped looked like one. Thankfully, Jacob caught on and provided some useful tips.

He positioned me against one edge of the table and used his body behind me to mold me into proper shape. Quil and Embry were discussing something together on the other side, so I was a bit distracted; Jacob's body was humming around mine, so I was a lot distracted. This was a much better way to play.

I missed everything he said and by the time my brain caught up he was telling me to take the shot. I looked down at my hands, which were in a position a bit different than how I liked, but it was tolerable. I swung back the arm holding the cue and pushed it forward into the white ball. It bounced, missed the target, and eventually raced off the table to land on the floor with a clunk.

The boys looked up from their video game and Quil and Embry were holding in laughs.

"Oops."

"I have to watch this," I heard one of them say. Brady, Collin, and Seth paused their game and hiked behind the bar. I watched them disappear under the countertop and pop back into view wielding beers. Seth had three in his hand, and he offered one to Embry and Seth.

"Damn, Jake, your girl has quite an arm." Jake put an arm around me protectively and I hid my blush.

"That was good, Bells. Just a little less force next time, okay?"

I nodded feigning seriousness and Embry placed the white ball back on the table to start again. He sunk in one before he missed and Quil groaned.

"Oh, relax," he muttered.

Jake continued to coach me on my technique, and with the both of us holding the pool stick, he guided me into a few shots. I pretended to struggle to get the hang of it, all the while reveling in the feeling of Jacob against me. The guys must have all really thought I was a horrible player, because they didn't catch on that I knew what I was doing.

It was fun, though, and I was glad I was starting to fit in with Jacob's friends. It was also a sight to watch Jacob lean his toned body over the table which caused my mind to fly in a hundred other thoughts and places.

Embry gathered up the balls and racked them again in the center for a second game, a real one. Quil took a swig from his half-empty beer and set it down on the wooden edge. We saw his face light up and a scheming smirk cross his face.

"Whatdya say we make this interesting?"

_Game on._

**Leave me some lovin' in a review. Love it, hate it? Any ideas for the next chapter? Coming up: Bella plays an interesting game of pool, meets the rest of the gang- Sam, Paul, Jared, Billy, and Leah, and feels kind of bold ;) **


	13. Daddy's Little Girl

**I'm back! Sorry about the delay in updating :/ Between RL getting crazy and problems updating/posting, I finally got the time for Chapter13. So here it is...  
M for language and a half-lemon.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own the song from the chapter title. Those belong to SM and JMac, respectively.  
A million thanks to my beta Bluebaby.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 13 _Daddy's Little Girl  
You want to learn what you don't know  
You're grown up, don't need permission  
Find out what you've been missing  
It took some time but now you really wanna figure out  
Just what it is that all the other girls 'been taking 'bout  
And it's driving your mom crazy,  
'Cuz daddy's little girl is now my baby_

"Corner pocket!" I called. I glanced up before sinking the shot. Embry knocked back a shot of whatever we were drinking, and I couldn't help but grin.

It landed with ease and the basement erupted in mostly cheers. Jake shouted and picked me up from my waist in celebration. I erupted into laughter when I saw Quil and Embry grumbling from the other side of the room.

"Victory shots!" Collin lined up two glasses and messily filled them with whatever alcohol was left. Jake and I simultaneously picked them up, and he quickly emptied his. I held mine out in front of me in Embry and Quil's direction with a wink before I tipped my head back and swallowed.

Quil stuttered with a few words; his mouth opened and closed before he finally found the right ones. They were somewhat slurred, but I could make them out.

"Damn, Jake! That's not fucking fair! She hustled us!"

"Hell yeah she did!" Seth yelled out from behind the bar. He held out his hand for a high-five which I gladly reciprocated.

"Oh, I've never played pool before…I'm no good at this…" Quil mocked in a high-pitched girly voice that sounded nothing like me. "Bullshit."

I was feeling a little bold, thank you to the alcohol that was currently buzzing through my system. That had also been Quil's idea.

"You miss a shot, you take a shot," he explained as we prepared for the game earlier. "Other team makes a shot, you take a shot." I had gotten myself all warmed up while taking the two shots from Embry's first round. Then, it was my turn, and the boys watched with wide eyes and I took my first turn and used all my skill.

Jake caught on to my scheme the fastest, and was completely worshipping me the entire game. It was only minutes later that Embry and Quil realized they were in for some competition.

"Don't worry, Quilly," I said with a pout as I walked over to him, "it's just a game." I got dangerously close and traced my fingers down his arm seductively. He watched me with a suspicious glare. I knew everyone else in the room was, too. "Since you lost, I'll do you a favor," I continued. "_I'll _buy you the pink dye."

I was feeling good as the boys sounded off in loud laughter again. Quil grumbled and collapsed on the couch, face down. "I'm not doing it!" He said into the pillow.

"Fuck yeah you are!" Jake responded. "A bet's a bet, and my girl beat your ass, bro."

Ah, yes, the bet. That was also a genius idea of Quil's. We made a wager on the winnings; my and Jacob's sweet victory meant Quil had to dye his hair pink and leave it that way for a month. Honestly, it was the first thing that came to mind. Jake and his friends were manly men through and through, and I figured adding a little pink to that mix would provide entertainment.

Quil had been pretty confident and knew what he wanted as soon as we agreed to the idea of a bet. "I want the Bentley for a month!" He said to Jake.

"Deal." We all shook on the terms after our conditions were solid.

"You have a Bentley?" I asked Jacob.

He simply said yes with a shrug. These boys collected cars like another person would collect stamps or postcards.

Quil grumbled into the pillow and I laughed at his actions. Jake slammed his glass on the bar counter and turned to me.

"Nicely done, Bella. I think that counts as your initiation."

"Initiation?" I giggled. He smirked and brought me close to him with two hands around my waist, and placed a sweet kiss on my nose, then my mouth.

A whistle from one of the guys brought my attention to a pair or bare legs descending the stairs into the basement.

"Shut up, Brady. You know Sam will kick your ass."

The body continued down the stairs until Leah Clearwater came into view. She had clearly just come out of the pool; she was wearing a small two-piece bathing suit that exposed her petite tanned, toned body, and her dark shoulder-length hair was in wet strands behind her head.

Her face looked sharp, and displayed a prominent frown, but even so she was stunning. Jake turned to face her but kept an arm around my waist. Leah placed a hand on her hip and faced me. I tried not to show I was a bit intimidated.

"Lee, this is Bella," Jake said.

I stepped closer and held out my hand. "Nice to meet you."

I watched her eyes run up and down my body and then rest on my outstretched hand. She huffed and shifted her weight to the other hip without making any effort to return my handshake. I rested my hand at my side.

"My friend and I are really big fans," I told her. I thought maybe it would get her to soften up a bit. It didn't.

She shot Jake a dangerous look. "Really Jake, another doe-eyed, start struck gold-digging groupie? You guys are ridiculous sometimes." She spun on her heel and began to walk up the stairs again.

My mind processed her words but I was too slow to come up with a reply. It didn't escape my notice that she said _another_ groupie, either. By the time I thought to respond, Leah was out of sight.

"Aw, don't listen to her Bella," Seth said. "She's just moody."

I shrugged and played it off like it didn't bother me. I had gotten most of Jake's friends to like me; you can't win them all.

"Boys!" I heard a man's voice call from upstairs. "What the hell did you all say to Leah that got her into a rampage?"

"I didn't do it this time!" Embry yelled, clearly a bit intoxicated. Jake sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"C'mon, Bells. We'll take a look at your car." I followed Jacob up to the main level and into a gorgeous kitchen that could have been plastered over the pages of a magazine. I recognized Billy, Jacob's father, from when I saw him during Jake's stay at the hospital.

Jake pulled something from the fridge and popped it into his mouth. "Dad, this is Bella. You remember her from the hospital, right?"

Billy looked up from his newspaper and I watched a wide grin spread across his face. "Of course I do! Nurse Bella, what are you doing running around with my punk of a son?"

"Dad…" Jake whined.

I giggled and walked over to Billy to shake his hand. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Black. I'm glad it's under better circumstances this time."

"Oh, please, call me Billy. What are you kids up to this afternoon?"

"Bella's truck won't start, so I'm going to take a look at it out in the garage."

"Oh, alright. Don't let me hold you up."

"Do you want anything to drink?" Jake asked.

"No, that's okay. Thanks." Even though we had unofficially skipped lunch, the popcorn at the movies was still sitting in my stomach and I wasn't hungry.

"Okay, let's go." Jacob opened and slipped through the glass patio doors right outside of the kitchen and waited for me to follow. I said goodbye to Billy and then quickly caught up.

"Sam! Paul! Jared!" I watched three heads pop up from behind a car in the garage. It was a car I recognized from the races, except the carbon fiber body shell of it was lifted up so that the parts and engine were visible.

Jake got there before and joined the group of greasy men. I slowed to give them some space, since I wasn't so comfortable with just waltzing in their territory.

"Yo, Jake, what's with the heap of junk metal in the driveway?" I heard Jacob cough to hide a laugh and I rolled my eyes as I stepped into the garage.

"That would be mine." I raised my hand in a small wave and met the questioning and intimidating eyes of the three men. I wasn't exactly fond of being checked out by three guys, however.

"Do you not get many women around here?" I joked.

"Sorry. Ignore them. I'm Sam." Sam held out his hand and I returned the gesture.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. I'm Bella."

"This is Jared," he nudged the man next to him, "and Paul." Sam looked like the oldest, the most stoic of the crew, and the most serious. When I had tried to joke around, Jared's face grew into a big, charming grin, and I noticed Paul's mouth twist up in an impressed smirk, even though his expression still left me unsettled.

I nodded at them both and then spoke again. "Oh, and the heap of junk in the driveway is mine, also."

"Aww, shit," I heard Jared laugh. Sam had the decency to look apologetic, and I assumed he had been the one to say it in the first place.

"Bella, I…" he started.

"Don't worry about. Not everyone can appreciate the beauty in front of them," I teased.

Paul laughed loudly and slapped Sam on the back. "Sounds like Leah," he muttered.

"Okay, anyway…" Jake interrupted, "Bella's truck won't start so I brought it here to look at it."

"Oh, so that's how you got him, huh?" Jared said. "You used the whole damsel-in-distress my truck won't start line?"

I giggled. "Not exactly."

Jacob led the way around the house to my truck that looked horribly shabby in comparison to its surroundings. "Pop the hood?" Jake asked.

I did as he instructed and watched three sets of eyes peruse the ancient engine. I stepped closer and peered over Jake's shoulder- I had never actually seen what the engine in the truck looked like.

I understood a few words here and there but Jacob had to explain it to me in layman's terms once he had diagnosed the problem. Apparently, the battery was still good, I didn't know how, but it was, and the issue lied within the starter wire connection.

"Ummm, okay. So what do we do with that? Can it be fixed?" I asked.

"Easily. Just needs a little clean up. I can have it done in minutes."

I followed Jake back to the garage flanked by the three other guys. This crew must really do everything together. It was like they were all brothers; I could tell they were tied very close. I admired that, and appreciated it, because I didn't have any brothers or sisters and didn't have anyone I considered close enough to me to call a sister in the past. Now, I had Rosalie, but the sense of family I was feeling with Jake's pack was satisfying, even if I hadn't been part of it for that long.

Jake unwrapped his hand from where it was at my waist when we got to the garage so he could dig out some tools. I walked slowly around the funny car that Sam, Paul, and Jared were previously working on. When I was near the rear end, I noticed that the garage was a lot bigger than I originally thought.

The room consisted of workbenches and toolboxes, but there was only room for the one funny car that they worked on. A door separated this room from a large expanse of open space that was occupied with some of the shiniest, sexiest looking cars I'd seen in person.

"Are these yours?" I asked before slipping past the door without waiting for a response. I could pick out some models, but honestly it didn't matter what they were called.

Jake appeared through the door behind me with a smile on his face.

"These are amazing!"

"Thanks."

"Wow, what's this one?" There were five all together, including the black mustang and blue audi that I saw Jake driving in the beginning of the week. Next to the mustang was a dark beige colored futuristic-inspired beauty.

"2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700," he answered.

"A what?"

"6.5 V12 engine, push rod double triangle aluminum suspension, carbon ceramic brakes with 6 piston calipers, 7 speed transmission."

I might've moaned a little bit. "I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds fucking hot." Jacob smiled a devilish smirk and stalked closer.

"Oh, it gets better," he continued with a deep voice. "Tops out at 704 horses at 8250 rpms with 509 foot-pounds of torque; an electro hydraulically actuated gearbox capable of changing gears in less than 50 milliseconds."

"Well, fuck me," I muttered as my eyes traced the details of the car's body.

I felt Jacob's hot breath on my neck; his hands pressed against my flat stomach, and his fingertips slipped underneath the waist of my skirt just enough for me to feel my body start to respond.

"Ever been fucked on the hood of a car before, Bella?"

My eyes widened in surprise and anticipation and I spun in his grasp. He kissed me hard, but it was over too quickly. I watched as he took a few steps back toward the work garage.

"I'll get the keys. We'll take the lambo for a drive." He disappeared behind the door with a wink. "Sam," I heard him say, "can you handle this truck for me? Just clean off the battery cables and see if that's what the problem is. It should be a snap."

"But Jake-"

"Thanks buddy."

He smiled victoriously when he came back to where I was standing with a keychain in hand. He pressed on of the buttons and I heard the distinct sound of the doors unlocking.

He opened the driver's door and gestured for me to get in. My eyes lit up when I realized he was letting me drive it. I eagerly hopped in and felt the smooth black leather underneath my mostly-bare thighs.

"Which one are you taking out?" I heard Sam say. He had a rag in his hands that was covered in brown and black grease. I wondered if all of that was from my truck. "Oh, Seth's."

I panicked for a moment. "Wait, this is Seth's car? I don't want to drive it if he doesn't know that-" I started to get up.

"Don't worry about it Bella," Jared said. "We swap cars all the time, like swingers." He laughed. "We're pretty good at sharing our cars, just like we share our women."

"Fat chance in hell, Jared," Jake snorted. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you sure it's okay, Jake?"

"Positive, Bells. Technically, all the cars belong to Leah and me. Well, our team anyway."

"Do me a favor," Sam piped up, "don't go near her Range. She's pretty protective of that thing."

I assumed the white Range Rover on the other side of the garage was what he was referring too. "Huh, I would have expected Leah to be driving something more…more powerful than a Range Rover."

Jake shut the door and jumped in from the other side. "She left the Jag at home."

"Oh, a Jaguar. Of course."

"If we're going to get technical, the black Escalade is Sam's, the audi is Jared's, the mustang is mine, and the Range is Leah's. Those are what we drove down here anyway. And then there's the giant trailer that houses our cars for the drag strip."

"I'm gonna have to start writing this down."

"Well, let's go."

I took a breath before pressing the ignition button with my foot tentatively on the brake. It roared to life and I was taken aback in the sensation for a moment.

"Whoa."

"You remember how to drive stick?"

"Yeah, it was only last week," I replied sarcastically.

"Alright, well then let's see it girl."

I cautiously threw it in reverse and inched it back until I was facing the entrance of the garage. It lunged forward when I tapped the gas pedal to go forward, and with just that touch we were out in the dimming sunlight.

I hit the brakes hard, too hard. "Shit!"

"Bella, it's made for speed. You don't have to drive it like you drive your truck."

"Shut up," I laughed. I turned along the slight curve of the driveway to get to the street and picked up some speed down the straight road. "This is amazing."

I learned the feel of the car and flew around a couple of roads.

"Are you sure you've never done this before? I can totally picture you running down the quarter-mile," Jake joked.

"Do you do that with these cars, or just the funny cars?"

"We take our own out from time to time. We have to do some work first though, like put on racing tires and things like that. But we have fun with it. We haven't done it since we've been in Florida."

"That must be so exhilarating."

"You can say that."

I was on cloud nine until I got overconfident and took a turn too fast. Since the body of the car was so low to the ground, when the tired scraped the curb, so did the underside and edge of the lambo. I pulled over, put it in park, and jumped out to assess the damage while muttering apologies to Jacob.

"Oh my God; I'm so sorry. Jake, I didn't even realize…I'm so sorry!"

Jake squatted down next to me and fingered the small scratches. "Easy fix. Don't stress it."

"But Seth-"

"Will get over it," he finished for me. "He probably won't even know. I can throw on some touch up paint and it'll be fine. Or I could let him freak out first and let him do it himself."

I playfully slapped him on the arm and couldn't hide a giggle. "Don't do that! That's so mean!"

He shrugged, ready to get back in the car.

"How about you drive?" I said.

"Aw, Bells, don't be scared just because of a little mishap."

"I'm not scared," I lied.

He narrowed his eyes at me once we stood up. I was half-leaning in the open passenger door, and Jake was only inches away. Before I could think about it, I slipped both of my hands beneath his loose-fitted tee shirt and felt from his collarbone to the 'v' of his abdomen. I watched his eyes fall shut in pleasure and it only encouraged me.

"I'm not scared," I repeated. "I want to see how a real man handles his ride."

"Get in." His voice was demanding and he slapped my ass with his hand to get me out of the way. I squealed and ran around to the other side, completely turned-on and excited.

I watched with lidded eyes as Jake fisted his hand over the gearshift tightly, and I stared at the rippling muscles up his arm to his shoulder. The edge of the wolf tattoo was peeking out from under his sleeve.

The car accelerated forward and Jake merged onto a main road. His eyes flicked between me and the road continuously. I pulled out some slack from my seat belt and leaned over toward the driver's seat. I realized this gave Jacob a great view of my assets and reveled in the fact that he was taking full advantage of that.

"Eyes on the road," I instructed. Once he turned his head back, I licked my lips and placed a smothering kiss to his shoulder. The muscle tightened under my actions.

I pushed back the sleeve and continued a trail of kisses from his bicep to the top of his shoulder, but then the fabric resisted and I couldn't get any farther. Jake shifted his position in his seat and glanced at me.

"Don't stop."

I lifted myself off the seat even more so I could reach his neck to place more kisses there. I stuck my tongue out between my lips, tasted him, and trailed all the way to his ear where I nibbled on a sensitive spot and heard him practically purr.

"Bella…" I couldn't tell if that was a warning or if it was meant to be encouragement.

I rested my weight on my left hand which was on the back of the seat, and palmed my other hand against Jacob's jeans. I could tell that he was appreciating my actions. He leaned back further in his seat and I had to pull back for a minute.

"Are you watching the road?" I demanded.

"Yes, Bella, but fuck you're making it difficult," he whined.

"Good. This is going easy on you, baby."

"Damn," he breathed.

I wasn't sure where I was getting my confidence from; I had never done anything like this before. My body was guided by an internal sort of instinct, and Jacob's positive reaction, of course.

His foot stepped against the pedal and I felt the car accelerate a bit more when my hands unbuttoned his jeans with a soft pop. I pushed the zipper down and slid my hand between the rough denim and soft boxers and stroked him over the fabric a few times.

"Eyes on the road, right?" I teased while my bold fingers snapped the waistband and dipped underneath to grasp his hot length.

"Working on it."

I pushed his pants away from his body and lowered myself down so my lips grazed against the head of his cock. I tried not to stare like I'd never seen one before, but it was hard not too. My tongue past my lips and circled around him, and I moved down further to trace as much of him as I could without getting impaled by the gear stick where his hand still was.

I heard him suck in a breath. "Bella…oh my god…"

"Hmm?" I popped my head up to peak out the window quickly and make sure no one was driving too near to us. It had started to get dark out, and besides passing one or two cars, we were alone on the road.

"That feels amazing," Jake moaned when I opened my mouth wide to fit all of him. I hollowed out my cheeks and traced the ridges of his manhood with my tongue while I glided up and down. Jacob was fighting to keep his eyes open, and his knuckles were clenched around the wheel.

I smiled around him and continued, moving a little faster and taking him in deeper. His legs jerked beneath me and I listened to him breathing hard and muttering things I couldn't make out.

"Bella…fuck, baby. You have to stop if…"

I knew what he was going to say; I shook my head with my lips still around him. I wanted to do this for him, and I also didn't want to make a mess in poor Seth's car that I had already scratched.

I sucked him all the way to the top once more slowly, then forced my jaw to relax and took him as deep as I could. I felt him hitting the back of my throat, and repeated the sensation. I wondered what that would feel like inside me, and not in my mouth.

I didn't have much time to think though, because Jacob grasped my neck with his hand from the gearshift and thrust into my mouth twice before I felt him release into my mouth. I swallowed around him and continued until he stopped moving.

"Oh my god, oh my god," he chanted.

I moved my hand and let his pants fall to around his waist again, and looked up to gauge his reaction. His head was titled back against the headrest and his eyes were half-closed.

Suddenly, we were pulled over at the small shoulder of the road, adjacent to nothing but open land on one side, and the mostly empty highway on the other. He threw the car in park hastily, grabbed my face with his hands, and pulled me roughly to him into a kiss.

He pulled away slightly and rested his forehead against mine, his eyes shut tightly. "I wish this car had a backseat," he said.

"Why's that?" I asked, equally breathless.

"For all the things I want to fucking do to you." I felt my body temperature rise a few degrees at his admission, and had the urge to jump on top of him in the driver's seat.

"I think we took advantage of Seth's car enough tonight."

Jake laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right." He kissed me once more before he buttoned his pants and got back on the road to take us to his house again. I watched a wide grin spread over his features.

"I can't wait to tell Seth I broke in his car before him."

"Ew, Jake! You can't tell the guys about that!"

He pouted. "Aw, come on. I don't get to brag?" I gigged and rolled my eyes at the thought of Jacob trying to make his crew jealous.

"What the hell did you do to my car?" Seth screeched when we finally pulled it back into the garage a while later.

I bit my lip and got out to stand behind Jake, and I hoped I wouldn't lose my 'acceptance' from the crew.

Jake threw the keys towards Seth, who caught them effortlessly and clutched them to my chest. "Nothing…"Jake smirked. "…that a new paint job and some paper towels won't fix."

We left him gawking on that side of the garage and traveled back to where my truck was. Sam and Paul were working on the funny car still. I saw Jared humped over the engine with parts scattered around the concrete floor.

"Um, are those parts from my truck's engine?"

"They might be," Jared answered slyly.

Jake peered under the hood and sighed. "What happened?"

"Battery cables weren't the issue."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Uh…can I still drive it? Like, if we jump it or something?"

Jared laughed. "Nope. Old beastie here is down for the count tonight."

"First of all, she's not a beast. Don't talk bad about my truck. Second, how am I supposed to get home?"

"Baby, I told you I can drive you," Jake interrupted. "We can even have a replay of the fantastic drive we just took," he suggested.

I slapped his arm and blushed, not able to meet anyone's eyes. "Shut up," I muttered. Jared bust up laughing and pounded Jake's fist. "Are you serious?"

"Sorry, babe," he said with a smile. "If you don't want me to drive you, I can call a car for you." I shrugged.

"That's fine. As long as I get home soon; I have to be up for work in six hours."

"Oh, crap. I forgot that you actually have a job to worry about. I'm sorry. We all get carried away with spur-of-the moment ideas most of the time. Thank God we don't have to worry about a nine-to-five because we'd all be fired on the first fucking day."

"True," Sam added.

Jacob called a car and I eventually made it home safe, sound, and exhausted. I dropped my purse on the kitchen table and made my way through the living room to head up the stairs. The pillows and sheets I had given Jake the night before were piled neatly on the arm of the sofa. I picked one up and hugged it to my chest on my way.

Lazily, I swapped my skirt for sweatpants and collapsed on my bed with my pillows that still smelt of Jacob.

**Reviews, Reviews! Please let me know what you think! Even if it's just a few words, I'd love to hear from you :) I also accept anonomyous reviews !  
**Neither Jake nor Bella were 'drunk' when they took out the Lambo. I do not endorse drinking and driving, nor do I endorse distracting the driver ;)  
If anyone wants to see pix of the crews cars, you can google them. Also, funny cars are a catergory of NHRA drag. **


	14. Again

**A/N: Here's the deal: RL has been pretty hectic, so my attempts regular updates has gone to hell, basically. I apologize to those of you who looked forward to an update regularly; I'm doing my best to keep up, but please bear with me.**

**This chapter is more of a filler, but I hope you like it :) Let me know in a review! Thanks to all my readers who reviewed the last chapter and also anyone who added me to their fav author/fav story/ and alert. You Rock!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the song 'Again'. They belong to SM and Bruno Mars, respectively.  
Also, thank you to my beta Bluebaby for editing this chap and giving me tips and advice :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 14 _Again  
Hands over my head,  
Thinking 'what else could go wrong?'  
Would've stayed in bed,  
How can a day be so long?  
Never believed that things happen for a reason  
But how this turned out,  
You've moved all my doubts, oh believe  
That for you I'd do it all over again  
All I went through, led me to you,  
So I'd do it all over again,  
For you  
_

"How nice of you to show up for work today. It's funny, I travel the same roads as you to get here, yet I didn't hit any traffic this morning."

"I'm really not in the mood, Jessica." I brushed by Jessica on my way to the locker room so I could store my things and hurry to begin my shift. I was late as it is, as Jessica so kindly pointed out.

I woke up forty minutes later than my usual time and had to rush to throw things together, then call and proceed to wait for a cab. Angela covered while I was on my way, but obviously that didn't go unnoticed. I would probably be too optimistic to think that Jessica wouldn't take it to our superiors, but I still had a happy buzz about me from the night before, and it wasn't even ruined by Jessica meddling.

In a way, I was glad that we were inundated with work that continued the entire day. I didn't have time to think, time to overanalyze my relationship with Jake, or time to worry that Jessica was making my job miserable.

I made dinner plans with Rosalie at five o'clock and was planning to stop at the store quickly beforehand to pick up the pink hair dye for Quil. Of course I didn't forget about that.

"Hey, Bella?" Angela called me over to the nursing station about ten minutes to the end of my shift. I was frustrated with difficult patients and ready to go home and enjoy a free evening.

"What's up, Ang?"

She shuffled around some papers before closing them behind the cover of a book. "Kate called out sick for second shift; is there any way you could cover a few extra hours?"

I sighed. "I kind of had plans already, Ang…"

"I'll do it!" Jessica popped up out of nowhere and appeared at my side. "I can cover; it's not a problem."

"Oh," Angela said. "Okay. That's perfect, Jess, thank you."

Jessica gave her a wide, fake smile and began to walk away. "I'd be happy to pick up Bella's slack, I've been doing it all day anyway."

My grip on the counter tightened and I started to storm after her. "Listen, Jessica. I have had damn well enough of your crap-" I moved to follow after her but Angela held my arm.

"Don't, Bella." Jessica watched with gleaming eyes before she winked and walked away. If I could get my hands on her, that stupid smirk would be off her face in seconds. Once she was gone I tugged my arm free of Angela's grasp.

"She infuriates me to no end. I swear…"

Angela shook her head slowly. "She's not worth it. We all have Jessica's in our lives and it sucks but we have to deal with it. If you went after her, you know Irina Denali would hear about it. And Jessica is already up her ass with complaints about you. So I would back down."

I huffed and gathered up my purse. "Yeah. Well, I'm out of here for the day. See you tomorrow."

"See you."

I called a cab and waited outside in the lobby for it to arrive. I decided to call Jacob for an update on my truck, since I needed it desperately, but his cell went straight to voicemail.

Once I got home, I hurried to shower and dress and wait for Rose to arrive. She came barreling through the door, as always, dressed in business wear. "You will never guess who I got a phone call from today!" She squealed.

"Umm…Kellan Lutz?"

"Ha! As if. No, I got a phone call from the drag team of Clearwater and Black. They want to set up a meeting."

"What? Rose, that's great!" She leaned down, slipped off her black pumps, and left them with her bags by the door.

"Thanks. I'm excited about it, too. Apparently Leah is out of town for a few days, so once she gets back our offices are going to schedule an appointment."

"Oh. She's out of town? I just saw her yesterday."

Rosalie's eyes grew wide. "You met Leah, too? Wait, yesterday? Where did you meet her?"

I forgot I hadn't spoken to Rosalie since we left the club on Saturday night. "I spent Sunday in Gainesville at Jacob's. They have a rental house that the whole crew stays in while they travel for the races."

"I didn't know you spent the day there. How was it?"

"It was a lot of fun, actually. Well, except for the meeting Leah part. And the my truck breaking down part. Oh, speaking of, you're going to have to drive because I'm down a vehicle."

"Wow, you were busy. Let me change and we can go."

The restaurant was slow for a Monday night, which was good because it meant we got our food quickly. I caught Rose up on my weekend over dinner.

"My truck was working fine Sunday morning. I made it all the way to Gainesville following Jacob-"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Following Jacob? Does that mean he was here, in Jacksonville?"

"Um, yes?"

"Bella!" She laughed. "How could you not tell me something as critical as that!"

"Oh, please. It wasn't like that. He stayed over my house, but we didn't do anything. We went to a movie on Sunday and then spent the afternoon with his friends at his house -which is when my truck broke down and had to be towed and Jake and his crew were supposed to work on it. I just hope I get it back. Jake just said he would 'take care of it' for me."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked as she popped a fry into her mouth. "He has to give it back."

"I mean, last time I had trouble with my truck, Edward said he would get it fixed for me. Well, his exact words were 'I'll take care of it', and then he bought me a brand new car and hoped I wouldn't notice he sold the truck for scrap metal. Or tried to, at least. Thank God I caught it in time."

"Oh, jeez."

"I know he was just trying to help, but he never understood that I have history with my truck and it has a personality."

"I hate to break it to you Bella, but no one understands that."

"Jake understands it," I said.

"Well, excuse me," she chuckled. "So, continue- you hung out with his crew, your truck broke down, and…?"

"Oh, and I met Leah."

"That didn't go well?"

"Oh, it went superb. If you consider her calling me a gold-digging, fan girl whore an idea of a good time."

"She did what?" Rose shrieked.

I nodded in confirmation. "She gave me the once over and then sputtered out that shit."

"Well I am so not working with her. They can forget the damn meeting. I don't want to represent that bitch." Rose threw her napkin on the table and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"Rose, no. Don't sacrifice that for me! I promise it's not a big deal. Trust me, I didn't lose sleep over it. I don't know what her problem is, but I don't intend to let her intimidate me."

"That's a girl, Bella." She smiled. "I have rubbed off on you over the years."

"I guess so," I laughed. "So what did you think of Jacob when you met him on Saturday."

"Well, that's a loaded question," she laughed. "I didn't really get to talk to him, and I was slightly drunk by the end of the evening, so I can only tell you first impressions."

"Good enough. What do you have for me?" I trusted Rosalie to give me her honest opinion, which she always did anyway. I was curious as to what she thought about him; I hoped she liked him.

"Number one: he's definitely a ten. Good sense of style, which is always a plus. Good hair…nice muscles…"

"Okay, I get it! Number one is that he's hot. Number two?"

She chuckled. "Sorry. Number two; he was polite to everyone there. He talked to Riley and Emmett and also me and Vera, so it's not like he was rude or brushed off your friends. Always a good thing."

"Okay."

"Number three, and maybe most important, I didn't see him hit on any other girls. Because that would have been a problem. So overall, I like him so far."

"Me too."

Rose told me about her weekend adventures soon afterwards and successfully avoided all my probing questions about Emmett. After dinner we stopped at the convenience store so I could pick up my dye. They didn't have many boxes of pink dye in stock, but I bought all of the boxes they had. Quil's hair was pretty dark, and I wanted to make sure this pink really stood out.

"Tell me again why you are carrying pink hair dye? I thought you liked the color we did."

"I love it, Rose. This isn't for me. It's for Quil, one of Jake's crew members."

"Oh. Right. Because that makes perfect sense," she snorted.

"He lost a bet," I explained.

"To who?"

"Me." I smiled in triumph.

"Wait, you won a bet against one of Jake's friends?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Rose," I chuckled.

"And you said he has to dye his hair pink?" She let that process for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Is that really all you could think of?"

I frowned. "Yeah."

"Oh, well okay."

The next morning was slightly better, but my timing was still off. It was hard to predict how long it would take to get a cab to my house and how long the driver would take to get there. Angela pulled me to the side as soon as I stepped in and warned me that Jessica did, in fact, turn in complaints to management, and they were looking into it.

"This is becoming the job from hell," I whined.

Angela shrugged. "I don't know why she is causing problems now, but it's something we have to deal with. So just be on your best behavior in case management comes around."

"Yeah, sure Angela. Thanks for the heads up."

"Of course. Jessica isn't in today, just so you know."

"Great."

I went about my work and tried to not think about quitting. It was very tempting, especially now with all the drama rolling around. I'd never thought this was my dream job to begin with. Although I used to be able to tolerate and sometimes enjoy my work, Jessica seemed hell-bent on making that impossible.

The only thing that brightened up my day was a phone call from Jake in the afternoon. I hadn't spoken to him in two days.

"Hey, Jake," I said happily into the phone.

"Bella! How are you?"

"Good. I'm on my lunch break from work right now. What's up?"

"Oh, sorry, I should have called later this afternoon," he apologized.

"No, no, that's okay. Work has been pretty crappy anyway, so I don't mind the distraction."

"Oh, that sucks."

"Yup." I didn't feel like elaborating, and I didn't want to unload all my baggage on him.

"Well I have good news for you; maybe it will cheer you up."

"What's that?" I asked.

"We got your truck up and running. We figured out what the problem was, had to order a few parts, but its running."

"Oh, that's great! Thank you so much. Just let me know how much everything cost you and I'll-"

"Oh, please," Jake interrupted. "It was no problem at all. The guys and I needed a project to work on anyway, since we've been out of the races."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Bella, I'm positive," Jake insisted. "It was no trouble."

"Thank you," I repeated. I was excited to have my truck fixed and glad that this time it wasn't sold for scrap metal. It was sweet of Jacob to fix it for me for nothing.

"So when do you want to pick it up?" He asked.

"As soon as possible. I've been relying on a cab to get to work, and that hasn't exactly been working out so well for me."

"I see. Um, well I'm around whenever. Leah's should be coming back in a day or two and then she has a competition on Friday that I'll most likely be going to. Actually," he continued, "tomorrow morning I'll be driving my dad to the airport; he's traveling back to Forks. Do you think you can get the day off? Maybe you can take the ride with us and then we can spend the afternoon together."

Taking a day off from work, especially now, was probably not the best thing to do. But when I compared working to spending a day with Jacob, working lost – by a long shot. So I agreed and set up plans to get to Jake's house in Gainesville by ten. Angela didn't look too pleased when I told her I needed the day off, but I was so beyond caring that it didn't bother me.

I hurried home and took a long shower, washed my hair and straightened it, and stood in front of my closet to look for something to wear. Rose called while I was sorting through some options and I rushed for the phone still wrapped in a towel.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bella. Listen, yesterday I forgot to mention that Emmett and I wanted to get dinner with you sometime this week. Does tomorrow night work for you?"

"Yeah, that would be fun. Tomorrow I'm spending the day in Gainesville with Jacob, though. How about Friday?"

"Why don't you bring Jacob along? Did you two have dinner plans?"

"No, we didn't. That sounds like fun; let's do that."

"Great!" Rose said. "I'll text you once we pick the place."

The dinner plans worked out great, because I didn't even have to go to class tomorrow night. My final exam was on Thursday, and although I could probably use any free time this week to study, my brain had other things to focus on.

I threw a skirt and top over my desk chair for tomorrow, set my alarm clock for eight a.m., and slipped underneath the covers for bed.

The car ride from my place to Jacob's wasn't as long as I remembered it being; maybe I was getting used to the travel. I wondered how people who were in long distance relationships handled things like this. I wouldn't consider a few hours that long of a distance, but I'd never really had a relationship with someone who was in another state or another country. My father, of course, who stayed in Washington, and my mother when she traveled, but other than that I was always in the same state as Edward.

That led me to the question of what happens when Jake and his crew leave and head to home base in Washington? Is this just a fling – something that will last for now, and eventually dissipate once we're further apart? It was definitely a good time right now, but I wasn't sure what our ultimate plan was, if we even were to pursue one at all.

I sighed as the car pulled up Jake's drive. I handed the driver a wad of cash and stepped out with my bags. My purse was slung over my shoulder and I hauled the larger bag beside me. I had decided on bringing along a change of clothes, because, knowing Rosalie, we would be going to a restaurant that required more than what I was wearing – grey skinny jeans, a blue tank top from Abercrombie with bow detail around the neckline, and Converse. The bag was also holding the pink hair dye for Quil.

"Bella!" I smiled when I saw Jake come jogging out to meet me. He caught me up in a big hug and crushed me to his chest.

"Hey," he said softly, and a bit anti-climactic after the enthusiastic greeting.

"Hi," I giggled.

"What's in the bag?" He asked as he took it from my arm and carried it for me.

"Clothes," I answered simply. I didn't realize the implications of that until I looked at a silent Jake who was peering at me with a raised eyebrow. A blush rose to my cheeks and I felt my face get hot. "I fell asleep before I could text you last night, but my friends Rosalie and Emmett, who you met at the club last Saturday, were hoping we could meet them for dinner tonight, and Rosalie always picks these fancy places, so I brought extra clothes just in case. Of course, I should have asked you before bringing all this stuff and just assuming that you would want to go; if you don't want to go I'll just-"

"Breathe," Jake laughed, interrupting.

"Sorry," I laughed embarrassed.

"That's fine, baby. I'll do whatever you want to do."

"Okay."

"Bella!" I turned away from Jake to see Jared walking into the foyer. "Wait 'till you see your truck, we-"

"Fixed it!" Jacob yelled over his next words so I couldn't hear. I looked between the two with a worried glance.

"Um, what happened to my truck?" I asked hesitantly.

Jake sighed. "Damn, Jared, you owe me." Jared seemed to hang his head a bit, but kept his mischievous smile. Jake gestured towards the back doors with an exaggerated and exasperated wave of his arms. "Well, let's go already since Jared ruined the surprise."

I followed Jacob and Jared out to the garage with an excited bounce in my steps. Jacob raised up the doors and I saw…a black tarp. I don't remember the funny car being that tall, but maybe I misjudged it. I glanced at Jacob expectantly.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on." He fisted the black tarp in his hand and started to yank it off the object underneath. I saw a flash of red before he stopped and it was covered again.

"Wait! Are you really going to uncover it without us? We all helped with that, you know!"

Quil, Embry, Sam, and Paul barreled into the garage, all shirtless and shoeless. Each of them was inked somewhere visible on their bodies. What is it about these Quileute guys?

"Okay, you're all here. Bella?" I tore my gaze away from the four half-naked men in front of me.

"Yeah?"

"Ready?" Jacob asked.

"For what?" I asked dumbly. Jake smacked his head against the hard metal underneath the tarp as if he knew what was coming.

"Sorry, Jakey, Bella was busy ogling my sexy six-pack."

My eyes widened and my jaw slacked at Embry's comment. "What? No I wasn't!"

The guys laughed, a booming, echoing sound and I felt my face heat for the second time within the hour. I cursed the obviousness of my expression.

"You can admit it Bella," Quil added. "We always catch the eyes of the ladies."

Jake muttered something underneath his breath that I didn't catch over the sound of his head clanking against whatever was under the tarp. I pressed my lips into an unreadable line with the hint of a smile and cocked my head to the side with a hand on my hip.

"Funny, I never see any ladies around here looking for you…"

Paul bellowed out a laugh and slapped Quil on the back. "She's a keeper, Jake," he said.

I blushed at his kind comment and hoped I was off the hook for staring. Jake whined loudly behind me.

"Are we ready yet?" He asked.

"Yes! I'm ready."

"Oooh, Jake, she's-"

"Damnit, Quil, if I hear another word out of you I'm gonna fucking run you over with the damn Escalade!"

Quil held his hands up in defeat. "Touchy, touchy. Frustrated?" He asked with a smirk.

"I'm not fooling around with you Quil. I'll tell Claire what really happened to her kitten last month!"

Quil gasped. "You wouldn't."

"Don't fuck with me."

"I hope you like your truck, Bella," Quil muttered.

I watched the exchange with a curious silence, and wondered what Jake was frustrated about, who Claire was, and where the hell my truck was.

There was a swooshing sound as the black tarp was tugged over the height of a shiny, red Chevy Pickup. I took a step back and covered my mouth with my hands.

"Oh my God! Is that my truck?"

Jake smiled, obviously pleased with my positive reaction. I squealed and ran to admire my newly improved truck. It looked completely different, yet I still knew it was mine. The paint job was definitely redone; instead of the rusted red paint with orange flakes peeling off, it was covered in a shiny cherry red gloss. The dents in the hood and side panel were gone; there were two new headlights in the front, and a new chrome grill. The fender and mirrors looked shined up and smooth, as well as the door handles. The tires were also different - they were probably new. They had new hub cabs that were classy yet modern with a hint of red around the outer rim.

"It's perfect," I breathed in admiration.

"You like it?" Jake asked.

"Yes! I love it! Thank you." I ran to Jake and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, we helped too you know!" Sam teased.

I giggled and turned to the other four men. "Thank you guys. Really, I love it."

"Wait, you have to see the best part." Embry opened the driver's door, bent down, and then I heard a click. He walked over to the front of it and lifted the hood. The guys gathered around to admire the guts of the car, and I peeked over Jacob's shoulder.

There were gray hoses and wires and tubes and all sorts of things I didn't recognize. I did notice that nothing looked old and rusted or corroded like I would expect a truck of its age to have. "Is this all new?"

"Not all of it," Jake answered. "We got some new parts just to make it run a little smoother, but it's all still there."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Well, let's get out of here so we can get my dad to the airport on time."

"Alright," I nodded. "Are you guys coming with us?"

"Nope," Sam said with a clap of his hands. The four boys strolled out of the garage toward the house.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Quil teased with a wink before he followed the others.

"Jake! You told them?" He laughed and shrugged off my question.

"They're guys," he started, "and mechanics at that. They have no filter."

I rolled my eyes with a smile. I had to admit that I found Jake's crew to be quite endearing despite their occasional immature ways. It was part of their charm.

"Okay," I said as I began to walk towards the house, in the direction that the guys went. "Let's go."

"Wait." Jake tugged on my wrist and pulled me back to him. He was leaning against my truck looking devilishly sexy in battered jeans and a black shirt. He moved me so I was leaning on his chest, and then closed his eyes and kissed me.

His lips were warm and his mouth moved against my own in perfect synchrony. He pulled away to trail kisses down my neck. The range between his hot mouth and my chilled skin made me shiver.

"You look hot," he murmured. I dropped my head back to give him more access and he continued his descent of kisses to my collarbone. On instinct, my whole body lost its source of gravity and rested on Jacob's strong frame. He hummed and pushed aside the neckline of my top until his lips were obstructed by the cup of my bra.

"C'mon boy, you're going to make the old man late!" I heard from just outside the garage.

I pulled away from Jacob and adjusted my shirt speedily, while Jacob just watched my actions and chuckled. "It's not the worst thing he's walked in on me doing," he laughed. "Here, you might wanna…" Jake brushed his fingers across where his lips just were and rested on one spot before he shook his head with a laugh and walked outside.

I looked down to see what he was talking about. There, just outside the line of my tee shirt, was a light reddish mark. He did not just give me a hickey! "Jacob, you-"

"Hi Bella." I gasped and slapped my hand over the mark. Billy wheeled himself into view just as I was about to say something very vile about his son.

"Uh, hi Billy. Nice to see you again." I smiled and held my hand out in his direction, with my other hand still clasped to my skin.

"Likewise." Jacob's father took in my predicament and chuckled. "I was twenty once, too, you know," he teased.

Oh my God! Can the ground just _please_ open up and swallow me whole right now? The light rumble of a truck could be heard; Jacob pulled the black Escalade around to the front of the work garage. The window was rolled down all the way, and he leaned his arm out over it.

"Ew, Dad, that's way too much information than Bella wanted to hear, I'm sure," he called out.

Billy simply laughed and rolled himself around the stopped car. Jake put the car in park and hopped out to assist his father into the front seat. After I got over my embarrassment and utter humiliation, I ran inside to get my purse and then joined the men in the car. Jake took off down the highway towards the nearest airport.

"So, Bella, what's this I hear about you being Chief Swan's daughter?"

This was going to be an interesting ride.

**A/N: OoOo...  
Let me know what you think, PLEASE leave a review, I'd love to hear from ya if you're reading :)  
Any suggestions on chapter titles/songs? I'm running out of ideas!**

**Teaser for chapter 15: Does Billy know Bella's father? What does Jacob have planned for the day? Will Quil dye his hair pink? What do Rose and Bella get into fight about? Any ideas? ;)**


	15. Shut Up and Drive

**So yeah...I'm a lot late with this chapter. So sorry the regular updates haven't been working out, but I hope you still continue to enjoy this story! RL should be calming down for me soon, so that should give me more writing time :)**

**I loved all the enthusiastic reviews from the last chapter, and the guesses for the future were great! I love getting those, because sometimes they provide some great inspiration! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, nor this chapter title, which belong to and Rihanna, respectively.  
My beta bluebaby is awesommmme, and I owe her tons for taking care of this chap ! Thank u :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 15 _Shut Up and Drive  
Get you where you wanna go,  
if you know what I mean  
Got a ride that's smoother than a limousine  
'Cause it's 0 to 60 in 3.5  
Baby, you got the keys...  
Now shut up and drive_

"Oh, yes, I met Charlie a while back. When I saw you at the hospital I knew there was something familiar about you, but I couldn't place it."

"You know my Dad?" I asked. Billy had made the connection between me and my father, Chief of Police in Forks. I wondered if his jurisdiction included the reservation.

"Yes, your mother and your father. Renee, isn't it?"

"Wow, you must have a great memory," I commented, "because my mother hasn't been in Washington in twenty years."

"I can't forget a soul like Renee," he laughed. "She was such a free spirit back in the day. Your mother used to come to classes on the reservation that Sue Clearwater taught. I assume it was when she was pregnant with you, because Sue taught childbirth and prenatal classes."

"Really?" It was odd to hear a story about my mother coming from someone I never remembered meeting.

"How long did your mother stay in Forks?" Billy asked.

"We moved to Arizona when I was three."

"Well, she probably knew my wife, Sarah. She attended Sue's classes once in a while as well."

"See, Bella," Jake teased, "we've known each other since before we were born!"

"Wow, it is a small world." I said.

"Not really," Jake responded. "Forks is just a really small place."

"And Charlie helped me out with some legal matters involving the reservation and tribe. He's a good egg, your father."

"He is," I agreed, and a wave of homesickness washed over me. I never thought I'd actually believe it, but I did miss rainy Forks once in a while.

"So what are you two up to this afternoon?" Billy asked. I waited for Jacob to answer since I really didn't have a clue. In the rearview mirror I saw Jake's eyes flicker up to mine.

"I'm taking Bella to the track. The guys wanted to do a few runs, so we put racing tires on and we're gonna haul the mustang and the Audi down there."

"Really? We're going to the track?"

Billy laughed at my enthusiasm. "Don't let the crew get to you, Bella. They may seem like big tough guys, but in reality they're all just a bunch of goons."

I chuckled. "I noticed. Thanks for the heads up, but I think I can handle myself."

"I sure hope so, sweetheart."

After Jacob helped his father along in the airport to get on the correct flight, we hurried back to the house so we can have the most time possible to spend at the track. The rest of the crew, Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil, Colin, and Brady, were loading up the trailer with the two cars we were taking to the track.

"Bella!" Brady shouted when Jake and I hopped out of the Escalade.

"Hi guys."

"Ready to be amazed?" Quil asked.

"Um, by what?"

Paul chuckled and Quil rolled his eyes. "Our awesome racing skills, duh!"

"Oh, right."

The guys were hauling the mustang up the ramp and into the trailer. The tires on it were bigger than normal, so much so that even I noticed it.

"Are those the racing tires you talked about, Jake?" I asked. Partly because I was curious, and partly because hearing him talk about cars was extremely sexy.

"Yep. Those are about seven inches bigger than your average passenger car tire."

"Seven inches," Embry muttered under his breath, "that's nothing." I tried to hide my laughter as the other guys joked around with Embry.

"Why are they so much bigger?"

"Because we're Quileute," Colin said. Sam smacked him on the back of the head.

"She's talking about the tires, you dumbass."

"Oh, please. I highly doubt Bella is more interested in tires than-" The rest of his sentence got cut off and Jake continued his explanation with a smile and shake of his head.

"These are slicks. That means they have no treads for grip during the day. That's why they look smoother than a regular tire, which needs to have some sort of grip for rainy conditions. Also, the width of the tire increases the stiffness, so when we're accelerating, or turning and braking, the tire doesn't come up off the road."

"Uh huh…"

The boys cut the engine of the car once it was securely in the trailer. I watched as each of them hopped out and then latched the door shut.

Sam, Paul, and Jared ended up driving the trailer to the track, and the rest of us packed in the Escalade that Jacob was driving.

Embry began to take the front seat, so I waited behind Quil, Colin, and Brady to fit in the back. Jake shoved Embry out of the passenger seat.

"Back of the caddy, my friend. Let the lady sit in the front," he said.

"Aw, come one, Jake! I hate sitting back there with Quil! She's so much smaller, she can fit better than me," Embry whined.

"That's okay, Jake. I don't mind sitting back here," I interrupted, although it was sweet of Jacob to offer me the front seat.

"Thanks, but Embry was just moving," he said.

Embry cussed under his breath and clamored into the backseat with exaggerated effort. The car ride was less than an hour, but it felt more like we took a cross-country road trip with the way the guys whined and complained like children. I, however, didn't find it annoying; I had a permanent smile on my face. My cheeks hurt from laughing.

The track was pretty empty when we got there. I assumed there were no events scheduled. It was cool to have a 'back-stage' pass as we followed the trailer to the 'driver's only' section of the strip. I bounced with anticipation in my seat.

The guys charged out, finally in the open air, and began to quickly unload the cars from the trailer.

"Is the track open for practice today? No one else is here," I commented.

"Oh, that's because I rented it."

"You rented out the entire track? You can do that?" I asked with wide eyes.

Jake shrugged. I always forgot that these types of things were normal every-day things to him and the crew. I must have looked like such a tourist.

"Yeah. We usually just come during open hours if we need to use a strip to practice on, but I wanted you to get the full experience of our team," he smirked.

"You rented out the track, for me?"

Jake rolled his eyes and tugged me into him by my waist. "Yes. Is that so hard to comprehend?" He teased.

"Um, no?"

"Good," he laughed. "Because you are getting a crash course in drag racing 101, today, doll. Here, you're gonna need this." Jake handed me a bright hat with his name lettered on it. I fit it snugly on my head and blocked the sun. Jacob had his own that he wore. "Perfect."

I was mostly an observer for the beginning of the day. Employees from the track came over to approve the cars, obviously good friends and fans of Jacob and his team. They inspected the Mustang and the Lamborghini, as well as drooled over the two cars, and then approved them up to safety standards to race.

The crew rolled the cars over to the starting pits and the team split up to get started. I leaned against the half wall that separated the bleachers from the drag strip and watched them at work. It was quite a captivating scene – eight buff men in cut-off shirts and shorts getting their hands dirty with oil and grease of a car. If only Jacob were wearing his white racing uniform with the flames on it, unzipped at the top…

"Bella, come here!" Jake interrupted my fantasy and waved me over. The cars were both started, and rumbling loudly. I could feel the vibrations under my feet when I got closer. The sound was loud, but not deafening. Seth was sitting in the Lamborghini to the left of me, staring straight ahead and focused on the strip. I gazed to where his eyes were looking and saw nothing but straight, open road.

"We're going to run a few laps and get warmed up. You can hop in if you want…" Jacob said.

"Now?" I asked. Jake had the driver's door open with one foot in already. He waited for my answer. "Um, why don't you run it a few times first; and I can join in a few? I kind of wanted to see how the behind-the-scenes worked first. It's pretty cool." And I was nervous as hell, even though I trusted Jacob.

"Okay. See you on the other side," he said and then disappeared into the car. Embry waved me over and I jogged to where that crowd was standing a safe distance away from the running cars. I turned to face the back of the two cars which were about to take off. I noticed the ground underneath them was wet.

"What's with the puddle?" I asked.

"Watch." Colin and Brady were standing in the center of both cars, one on each side of the space. I heard a squeal and Seth's car moved forward quickly, then stopped suddenly and backed up to the starting line. I watched Jacob do the same thing.

"That's called a burnout," Sam explained to me. "Remember how Jacob told you we took the street tires off? So these are flat, and they don't retain any of the water. By burning out the tires, they heat up and become stickier. They're gonna get the green in three…two…" Sam continued to count down but I didn't hear the 'one'. Both cars accelerated and sped down the track, much like I remember seeing them during the real races. The exhaust fumes cast grey smoke towards the starting line.

The two cars soon became specks in my vision as they zoomed down to the finish line. The noise, mixed with that diesel smell and the atmosphere amongst the guys was enough to get my heart racing in excitement.

The guys erupted in cheers and shouts and I looked to the stats displays - in big orange figures displayed on a digital screen posted mid-way down the track here speeds and times for both drivers. Seth made it down the track in 11.2 seconds at 123 miles per hour. Jacob's time followed mere milliseconds behind with a similar speed of 121 miles per hour.

Both drivers drove around the track and came back to the starting line, and did this three more times. I watched Jacob and Seth race first, then Quil vs. Embry, and Colin vs. Brady. Jacob stood by me when he wasn't racing or helping with burnouts and tried to explain what was going on.

Once Sam and Paul finished and brought the cars around, Jacob tugged me by the hand to the mustang. "Ready, Bella?" He held open the driver's side door.

"What? Me? You want me to…I thought…"

Jacob noticed my apprehension and got in the driver's seat himself. "C'mon. First time down a strip, I'll drive, but you're going to do this eventually," he laughed.

I wasn't completely comfortable racing down a drag strip at over one hundred miles an hour. But I had learned that their speeds were slow compared to what they did on race days. "These are still street legal cars, so we don't overhaul them too much or we wouldn't be able to enjoy driving them every day," Jake had explained.

"Ready?" He turned to me with a huge grin on his face and I buckled myself in shakily. I was bouncing on the seat with nerves, excitement, and adrenaline. I didn't know what to expect.

The engine rumbled beneath us and I felt the vibrations on my seat. Jacob's hand was already fisted over the gearshift and I watched the speedometer in anticipation.

"Jake!" I heard Brady call from the other car. I was surprised I could still hear him. Jacob rolled the window down. "Race you for pinks?" He asked teasingly. Jacob just laughed and shook his head.

"I know how it is; too afraid to lose! Bella!" He yelled. I leaned over Jake and closer to the window.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be disappointed when Jake falls short. You can come home with a real man tonight!" I erupted in a fit of giggles and fell back in my seat as Jacob nudged the car forward.

"Fuck off, Brady!" Jacob called back to him. "You have no chance!" The competitive spirit definitely came out ten-fold in this group today. Their banter provided great entertainment.

Jacob rolled up the window and cut off Brady's next words. Brady was still leaning out the window of his car when Jacob floored the gas pedal. My head hit the back of the seat due to the g-force and it was impossible to move it anywhere. I watched straight ahead and saw the scenery passing us as we got closer and closer to the finish.

"Oh my God; that's insane!"

"It's cool, isn't it?" Jacob smiled, obviously happy that I was enjoying myself.

"It's incredible!"

When we got to the end I moved to watch for Brady's car. He was behind by a few seconds. We all met up again at the front of the track.

"What the hell, Brady?" Colin demanded. "That was the worst time of the day!"

Jacob chuckled and helped me out of the car. I felt like I had just downed a pot of coffee; I was hopping with energy due to the adrenaline rush.

"I got distracted!" Brady yelled back.

"Guess you can't race with the _real men_ yet, can ya Brady?" Jacob teased.

"Oh, shut up," Brady retorted. "Rematch!"

Jacob shook his head with a laugh. "He'll never learn." We raced a few more times then I stood off to the sidelines once more and pulled my camera from my purse. I added more pictures and video of the cars, the track, the races, and the crew. I tried to get a decent group shot, but getting eight men to cooperate and stand still long enough to snap a semi-good looking picture was more difficult than I thought. I settled for a handful of candid pictures.

My camera still had pictures and clips from the weekend Edward, Rose, Emmett and I went to the races. I hadn't had a second to upload them to my computer, and I made a mental note to send them to Charlie. I flipped through them with a smile on my face, especially when I landed on the picture I had tried to take of myself, with Jacob's goofy grin in the background.

"Whatcha looking at?"

I gasped and jumped at the surprise. Embry laughed from behind me. "Nothing," I said and held the camera to my chest.

"Oooh," he sang. "Bella's got dirty pictures on her camera!" He shouted. My jaw dropped in response.

"What? No I don't!" I insisted while the guys bellowed with deep laughter.

"It's okay, Bella. We won't tell, as long as you share," Quil chuckled.

My face was flushed red at this point and I scrambled to come up with a response. "Yeah, like that would ever happen! You couldn't handle it, Quil. You'll have to stick with your cheap magazines."

"Hey! Those things aren't cheap!" He yelled back.

I laughed until my stomach hurt and my cheeks were sore from laughing. We packed up our things and loaded up in the car again in the late afternoon. Jacob landed me the front seat again, much to the chagrin of the guys. His phone kept buzzing from the console between our front seats.

"Damn, Jake. You gonna answer that? It's been ringing all fucking day!" Collin whined.

Jacob glanced at it but placed it back down in the cup holder. "It's from work. I told everyone I wasn't taking phone calls from work."

"What if it's important, bro?"

"I'm out with Bella right now. I'm not interested in having a conversation with Harry about work."

He was ignoring his phone because he was with me? "Jake, you don't have to do that," I insisted. "I don't mind. It's work, I understand."

He shook his head. "Thanks, but it's fine. I don't answer work phone calls when I'm not at work."

"Okay." Even though I wouldn't have minded if Jacob had to take a call from work, it was kind of a nice feeling to know that I had his full and undivided attention when we were together.

Once the cars were all unloaded and back in the garage, most of the gang collapsed in the den in the basement. Sam, Jared and Paul stayed in the garage to switch the racing slicks with regular street tires. Those three always seemed to be working on something.

Jacob sat down on the couch and guided me over to sit with him. But we only had a few hours before dinner with Rose and Emmett, and we had hair to dye. "Be right back," I said sweetly before making a mad dash up the stairs to my bad where I stashed the hair dye.

I hid it behind my back until I was in front of the guys again. "Quil, I got something for ya…"

"Why am I afraid to ask…" he whined.

With a huge grin on my face I held the boxes in front of me. The boxes that showed models with bright hot pink hair on the front of them, and claimed it was some type of magenta.

"Oh, hell no!" He scrambled to get up out of his chair but the rest of the guys were on my side, and they prevented him from running away. "I am not. Making my hair. That color."

"Yes you are." I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and dragged him to the bathroom in the den. The door was left open and the guys crowded around. I nudged Quil to sit on the toilet seat. He ran his fingers through his shaggy black hair.

"Goodbye beautiful locks; I'll miss you."

I rolled my eyes and assembled the products together by following the simple instructions on the box. I wasn't going to tell Quil that I'd never actually done this before, but the directions seemed simple enough.

"I can't believe he's gonna actually do this!" Brady watched with wide eyes.

"Well, you would think he would've learned from the first three bets," Embry laughed. I would have to remember to ask what the outcomes of those bets were.

Quil whined and complained while the guys cheered and mocked him from outside the doorway. I started with the roots and made sure to generously spread the color.

"This is so not fair," Quil muttered under his breath. "I can't believe you're doing this."

I put a glove on to complete the process and saturate all the thick hair atop his head. Some of the dye dripped onto Quil's lap; a big glob landed on his open palm.

"Sorry," I said.

"Ugh, what is this stuff?" He lifted his hand in disgust. I leaned over to reach a rag from the bathroom counter to help him out, but that was probably a bad idea.

I felt a tug on a strand of my hair and shrieked when I realized what had happened.

"That was low man!" Jake said, and came barreling through the doorway. "You lost the bet, not Bella. If you aren't man enough to deal with the consequences then don't make the bets in the first place! You don't have to be a sore loser."

Quil had used the big drop of pink dye and smudged it unevenly and asymmetrically in the bottom layer of my hair. I knew that would leave an odd-looking pink spot, but I couldn't find it in me to be pissed off at him. I was having too much fun in the moment.

I put a hand out to separate Quil and Jacob. "It's fine," I assured him. "I can fix that."

"Damn!" I heard Seth swear from the other room. "Girl gets pink dye in her hair and she doesn't freak out? I'm impressed."

I smiled to myself in the mirror and assessed the dyed spot. I separated it, made it into an even section of hair, and pinned back the rest of my mane. Starting at the roots, I dyed a streak of my hair pink. Most of the guys were floored, and shocked that I didn't raise hell when my hair was messed with. Hell, even I was surprised with myself. A tattoo and pink hair?

We let the color sit and then I washed Quil's out first. He freaked out when he looked in the mirror and saw his new 'do'. "I can't walk around like this!" He picked up the box hastily and read the contents. "Is this shit permanent?"

I laughed as I washed out my own hair, leaning over the sink and watching in the mirror. "I think it looks good on you, Quilly."

"She dyes my hair pink and she calls me Quilly. Jake! I demand you get rid of this girl!" Quil shouted.

Jake laughed- at Quil's response and his pink hair. "No way, man. This is the most fun I think I've had in Florida."

Quil fell onto the couch once his hair was dry and groaned. "I feel like the fucking pink panther." The rest of the guys joined him in the den after they snapped blackmail photos with their phones. I washed out the color in my own hair, and was pleased to see that it came out evenly and in a solid stripe. It started from the roots of my hair right behind my ear and traveled down to the tips.

"That looks hot," Jacob said. He kissed me and fingered the new stripe in my hair as he did before we joined the group on the couch.

"Dude! You do look like the pink panther!" Brady agreed.

"The pink panther is cool man," Quil persisted.

"Not at all! I'd rather be a jaguar," Embry countered.

"What the hell, man, a jaguar? I'm totally a werewolf." Seth looked proud of himself for coming up with that one, and I rolled me eyes. A werewolf, really?

"Hey! If anyone's a werewolf in this group, it's definitely me," Jacob said and pointed to himself. You know, now that I think about it – Jacob as a werewolf could be pretty hot.

Seth scoffed and the others continued to argue back and forth who was the most powerful beast. I jumped up when I checked the time on my cell phone an hour later and realized we had forty minutes to meet Rose and Emmett.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked.

"We have to go. We're meeting my friends Rosalie and Emmett for dinner, remember? They want to meet in Graham for dinner. Which means we were supposed to be leaving…now."

"Oh, crap. Okay let's go."

Jacob ran upstairs to change while I brought my bag of clothes into the first floor bathroom. I slipped into a red cocktail dress, put on shiny pumps, touched up my makeup, and brushed out my hair. I left it down so the pink stripe was blatantly visible, and added a thin, white headband at the top.

Jacob, of course, looked ravishing in black slacks and a button down with his hair spiked up in the middle. He ran down the stairs, swiped his keys from the counter and we headed to the car. "Bella, you look beautiful," he said sincerely.

I blushed and bit my lip. "Thanks. You look nice, too." He thought I looked beautiful! For some reason his statement caused butterflies to floor my stomach. We took out the Audi for tonight, and I stashed all my bags in the truck before sliding into the passenger's side.

"Where too?" I directed Jake with the directions Rose had hastily given me over the phone previously.

"I'm going to call them and let them know we're on our way," I told Jake. He nodded and got us onto the highway quickly.

"Hey, Bella. Are you on your way already?" Rose answered.

"Yes, we should be there in half an hour."

"Oh, that's great."

"Where are you? Are you with Emmett?" I asked.

She laughed. "Bella, you know me better than that. I'm still at home, getting ready."

"Rose!"

"I'll see you soon, Bella," she said with a smile in her voice, and then hung up.

"Everything alright?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. They're going to meet us there."

"Okay."

"They're closer to this place anyway, so they might still beat us there," I said.

"Ah, but you forget who is driving, my Bella." I looked over at the smirk Jacob was wearing and smiled to myself.

"Forgive me," I teased.

Jacob busied himself trying to find a suitable station on the radio, and I reached to the floor to squeeze my cell phone back in my purse. I saw the flicker of a bright light above me, but my reaction time was slow. "Did someone just-"

"Son of a bitch," Jacob growled. I heard the switching of gears and the engine rev under the hood before the g-force pushed my forcefully back in my seat.

"What? What happened?" A silver car sped past us, dangerously close to the side I was on. It seemed like it was going to fly by us, but soon our speed was picking up to match his.

"Dude wants to get his ass beat in a race," Jake responded.

"What are you talking about? I thought he flashed you with his brights or something…"

"Yeah. Exactly." His eyes were trained on the road and the competitor in front of him. We approached other drivers on the highway, and I figured Jacob was going to slow up, but he didn't. He swerved between lanes and kept his pace. I wanted to cover my eyes with my hands, but at the same time I couldn't stop watching.

"Jake! Be careful!" I called when we came way too close for comfort to another vehicle.

"It's fine, Bella, relax," he said curtly. Soon he was tailgating the silver car, which I recognized as a Volvo. A _Volvo. A Volvo!_

No. There was no way. It couldn't be! Edward drove fast, sure, he wasn't one for speed limits, but he didn't _race_ people! Right?

Jacob sped up and was able to cut in front of a car in the middle lane to get around him and out of the pack of cars to more open road in the front. He floored it once again and I took a peek at the speedometer.

Shit! I wasn't sure of the speed limit on this highway, but I knew it was definitely under a hundred! Which was a lot less than what we were currently doing. The part of my brain that was thinking logically was terrified, and was thinking of all the horrible outcomes this could possibly have, but the rest of my body was responding differently.

My heart sped up and was pounding in my chest and I found myself cheering Jacob on. The speed was intoxicating and soon it seemed too slow. Jake gained a good amount of space in the front and we celebrated our victory.

"That's crazy!" I squealed. "I can't believe we just did that!" That is, until we heard sirens. Jake slowed the car and I spun around in my seat. Red and blue lights were coming toward us, and fast. I looked frantically at Jacob. "Shit, the cops! Can't you get arrested for drag racing?"

The trooper car flew by the silver car, so I knew it was targeting us. I was lurched back in my seat again as Jake took off once again.

"I think so, but I'm not about to find out," he said in answer to my last question. So what was his solution? He wanted to be part of an illegal street race and then…run from the cops? Was he out of his mind?

"Are you out of your mind?"

He didn't answer, just sped up more as the sirens grew more frantic and lights flashed behind my eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he turned the headlight of the car off.

"What are you doing?"

"Just hold on, okay? This may not be pretty," he warned. I gripped the edge of my seat tightly and squeezed my eyes shut. The sirens grew fainter and fainter in the background and I guessed that meant we were putting more and more distance between us and the cops. Would they call backup? Did the get the license plate number?

I peeked my eyes open at just the wrong time. Jake slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel in his grasp hard to the left. We were sideways on the highway, and I screamed. He propelled the car forward again, onto the left shoulder, past the end of asphalt and into the tall grasses that made up the divider between the two directional highways until we came to an abrupt stop.

I found that I was breathing hard, panting in fact, like I had just run a mile. It must be from all the adrenaline and anxiety. The lights and sirens whizzed by us, past the point where we were hidden in the brush. Jake had found his loophole.

I found myself cracking up with laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. What would my father, the Chief of Police, think of this? What would I think of this if I heard the story from someone else? It was crazy; absolutely absurd. Yet, I couldn't get the smile from my face. "That was straight out of a movie!"

Jake laughed. "Ready to get to dinner?"

"Sure," I answered breathlessly.

"What the hell happened to you guys! You told me half an hour and then didn't show up until practically eight thirty! Me and Emmett were waiting here since a quarter to eight! You didn't answer your phone; I was freaking out!" Rose lectured me.

Jacob and I did indeed make it to the restaurant a little late, and both of us were flushed and jittery from the ride. "Sorry, I must not have heard my phone once I put it away in my purse."

Rose threw her hands up in the air. "Well, that's great." I turned to the mirror in the ladies bathroom, where Rose had chosen to confront me, and attempted to mat down my hair. It had gotten a little out of place since the windows were down in the car while we were driving.

I shrugged, and Rose grew even more agitated.

"What held you guys up? Weren't you already at Jacob's place all day?"

"Yes, Rose. God, you sound like somebody's mother right now." As much as I was grateful for Rose's protective loyalties, she was being a buzz kill. She rolled her eyes, still annoyed.

I shared the story of our drive down here and her eyes bugged out of her head. "Are you fucking with me right now? You raced some random guy on the highway? The very busy highway? _And_ you ran from the cops?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "It was-"

"Bella, that's not even a joke. That's dangerous. What if you got hurt? I can't believe you would be so reckless! I know you like Jacob and want to impress him and stuff, but Jesus, Bella, is all of that really necessary? I'm starting to think this punk is having a bad influence on you."

Anger soon replaced the annoyance. "I'm fine, Rosalie, aren't I? I'm in one piece. It was fun. So what if it was dangerous- walking down the stairs could be dangerous for me. But I'm _fine._ And I kind of liked it. So there. And what the fuck are you talking about – I'm trying to impress Jacob? I'm not trying to impress anybody; I'm being myself and I'm having a damn good time. You have no right to harass me like this and act like you know better. You said it yourself, you suck at relationships. So why don't you stay the hell out of mine?" My words may have been a little harsh; I wasn't thinking before they sputtered out of my mouth.

Rose opened and shut her mouth a few times like she was going to protest and say something in response. Instead, with an angry glare in her eyes, she stormed out of the bathroom, letting the door close loudly behind her.

Jacob wasn't having a bad influence on me. If anything, spending time with him was having the opposite effect. I felt more myself than I ever did the entire time I was with Edward. I wasn't afraid to stand up for myself or voice my opinion. I didn't have to be cautious around Jacob and reign in my feelings or wants. Nothing was planned, and I liked that I felt empowered to do whatever the hell I wanted.

Things were going to stay like this for a while, if I had anything to say about it.

**A/N: And there ya have it. I had a lot of fun writing the chapter, especially the pack. I wish they were real so I could hang out with them ! Getting reviews is just as good tho ;) (Maybe) Also, check out the poll on my profile and please vote !**


	16. Crashed

**Don't hate me. I know this chapter took a lot longer than usual, and I've been slacking :( I apologize for the delay, but RL and writer's block really hit me hard this past week. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**P.S. Since you've been reading this so far, I'm sure you know this story is not going to be one filled with agnst and drama and action and twists and turns. It's a simple idea I had that goes through Bella coming to learn about herself when she meets and spends time with Jacob. It's supposed to be fun and light. With that said, there is going to be drama during the climax of this story, because let's face it, Bella and Jacob are always facing some kind of drama. It may seem like I'm moving slow, but I've decided to make this as realistic as possible and not rush it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I am just borrowing her characters. I do not own the song 'Crashed' by Daughtry. I am just borrowing the words. (Shout out to AliMariexxx for recommending this song!)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 16 _Crashed  
Well I was moving at the speed of sound,  
Head-spinning couldn't find my way around, and  
Didn't know that I was going down, yeah, yeah.  
Where've I've been, well, it's all a blur,  
What I'm looking for, I'm not sure.  
Too late, I didn't see it coming, yeah, yeah.  
And then I crashed into you,  
And I went up in flames,  
Could've been the death of me,  
But then you breathed your breath in me.  
And I crashed into you,  
Like a runaway train,  
You will consume me,  
But I can't walk away._

"You guys will work it out," Jake assured me Thursday afternoon. I switched hands and held my cell phone wedged between my left ear and shoulder.

"I guess," I sighed, "I mean, we always do." After Rose and my spat in the bathroom of the restaurant, our dinner date threatened to be a repeat disaster performance of the last time we had a fight – tense and awkward, but Jacob and Emmett didn't let it stop them from enjoying themselves. They kept the atmosphere light and friendly, even though Rose and I didn't even glance at each other.

"Of course you do. You're best friends – you can't spend all that time with someone and not disagree on one thing the entire time. Look at me and the guys; we argue like a million times a day."

I laughed. "Your house is like a sorority."

"I think you mean fraternity."

"No."

"Well, thanks," he said sourly. "If anyone thinks it's a sorority, it's because of Quil's pink hair!"

"Ha! Is it still pink?" I asked.

"Yeah. He has to keep it that way for a month, remember?"

"Right, I know. I just thought maybe he couldn't handle it." I thought about Quil trying to dye his hair dark again while I stirred the pasta sauce I was simmering over the stove for my dinner.

"We won't let him back out. Besides holding him to the bet, we can't wait to see what Claire has to say about it," he told me.

"Claire? Is that Quil's girlfriend?" I recalled that Jacob had mentioned her name before, but I never figured out who she was.

"Oh, no, Claire is his daughter."

I almost dropped my phone in the sauce when my jaw dropped. "Quil has a daughter!"

"Yeah. She's four. She stays at home with Leah's mother who takes care of her when we travel," Jacob explained.

"Um…how old is Quil?" It dawned on me that I didn't know how old Jake or any of the crew was. I always assumed we were all around the same age. I couldn't imagine having a four year old daughter to care for; I could barely take care of myself and figure out what I wanted to do with my own life.

"Twenty three."

"Oh," I said softly. It wasn't my space to pry, so I didn't ask. That didn't mean I wasn't curious, however. I had just never gotten the impression that Quil was the fatherly type. And if his daughter stays with Leah's mother, does that mean Leah was the mother? Or if she wasn't, why wasn't Claire's own mother caring for her while Quil worked with Jacob and Leah?

I turned off the stove and let the red sauce cool for a minute before I dumped it over plain spaghetti. I had an exhausting day on my feet at work, and when I got home I reached for the easiest thing to cook.

"Yeah. He, got, uh…involved with this girl that we met while we were staying in Texas for a big drag competition. We were there for a month, and when we packed up to go home, this girl shows up and says she's knocked up with Quil's kid. So we basically made room for her and she drove with us back to La Push. "

"Wow." I brought a plate of food to the table and sat down while I listened to Jake's story eagerly.

"Of course we all welcomed her with open arms and supported the two of them, but that girl really played Quil out. I guess she had no family back home, but she expected a free ride and thought she'd be living the easy life with a guy making six figures. Quil tried to make it work, he really did. You may not see it with the way he acts now, but he's a loyal person with good intentions.

"Anyway, she eventually realized that she didn't like La Push anymore than she liked Texas, so she took off."

"What? She just left with Quil's daughter?"

"No. She left both Quil and her daughter, who she only gave birth to four weeks earlier."

"That's terrible!" I gasped.

"It was hard. After a few months of that girl living with us, though, we all realized she was no good. We only put up with her because we wanted to support Quil, and he wanted to be a good father for his daughter. Her mother tried to get money from him, too; after she was gone for a few months she filed for some kind of support. But Quil had been given full custody, and the two were never married, so it didn't really matter."

"Does he still have contact with her?" I asked, my curiosity overcoming my rule of not wanting to pry.

"Oh, no, not at all," Jake said. "We all pitched in and helped Quil out. Claire's the best thing that ever happened to him. To all of us, actually," he laughed. "That little spitfire keeps us all in line, I'll tell you."

"That's incredible."

"She is something. But anyway, that's one of the reasons Leah hates, and I quote, 'gold-digging groupie whores'. She's always wanted children, and she could never understand how a mother could leave their child like that."

Oh, I get it now. Hell, I'd be mad too if I went through a situation like that; I could definitely sympathize with Leah. I'd have to find some way to let her know I wasn't after Jake for a slice of fame or some of his money. Maybe we would actually get along – maybe.

"I don't blame her," I said.

"You'll keep this between us, right? I mean, it's obviously not a big secret or anything, it's just that none of us are fond of talking about it and reliving those days."

"Of course!" I was pleased that Jacob knew me well enough and trusted me to be able to tell me something like that.

I tried to eat and chew my food without all the noise going through the phone. It would make more sense to hang up the phone, and call Jacob back, but I didn't want to stop talking to him. It was simple and easy and effortless. He made me laugh, but he knew when to be serious. He was playful and flirty, but not so much that it was creepy. Talking to Jacob after a full day of work was relaxing to me, and I hoped he felt the same way.

"So what are you doing tonight, Bella?"

I swallowed the forkful of pasta in my mouth before I answered. "Probably not much. I have a final exam Friday morning that I will most likely be cram studying for."

Jake laughed and I heard shuffling on the other end of the phone. "That sounds like so much fun," he said sarcastically. "What are you doing after the test?"

"Um, I'm not sure yet."

"If you're interested, Leah's competing in another event, her last here in Florida. It's only for a couple of hours Friday afternoon, but it goes until late. It's a whole new experience watching cars run down the drag strip at night."

"I can imagine. That sounds like fun; I'd definitely be into that." The rest of Jake's words caught up to my brain. Leah's last competition in Florida? Did that mean that the crew was packing up and traveling home soon? How often do they frequent Florida? "You said her last event?"

"Yeah, it's the last event we are scheduled to race in. I had to drop out obviously, but we stayed so Leah could continue. Fridays' the end of the road."

"Oh. So you're going back to Forks?" I asked cautiously, and tried not to sound clingy.

"We're going back to Forks," he confirmed.

Focus didn't come easily when I attempted to study for my finals. I took my time cleaning up dinner and putting away the leftovers after finishing the phone call with Jacob, and then spread my work out on the kitchen table. My laptop was open, quietly playing music, and my cell phone was positioned right in my line of sight.

I was distracted by both devices; checking an email from my mom that told me she and Phil were coming home Saturday morning for sure, and obsessively flipping open my cell phone to see if Rose decided to text and apologize yet.

Usually, I was the first one to cave when Rose and I got into a fight. She was strong-willed, and determined, but I inherited my father's stubbornness, so I'd like to think we were evenly matched. But now, I had Jacob to vent to, and Rosalie had Emmett. So maybe it would talk us longer to find our way back to each other, but then again, the guys had a way of pushing us together.

I was able to concentrate enough to go through my study guide questions and answers once, and it took me a little over an hour. Afterwards, my brain was fried, and all I could do was crawl into bed and sleep.

At work the next day, I flipped through my self-made index cards and downed cups of hot caffeinated coffee every second I had a break. I remembered why I hate procrastinating to study for important things; however, I had gotten quite good at my strategy. Despite my best efforts, I was one of those people who left everything for the last minute. I needed to be under some kind of pressure if I was required to focus.

Jessica was at work as well, but I was able to block any thought of her out of my mental space, since all of it was being stuffed with my economics notes. I continued my studying once I got home; I only stopped to pop some food in the microwave and eat while I read over my notes.

I was stuck on a hard but important question when I found myself listening to Rose's voicemail. I stared at my hand that held the offending cell phone – I must've reached for her number automatically without thinking. The message came to an end with a beep and I scrambled for something to say.

"Uh…hey Rose, it's Bella. But I guess you already know that from the caller ID. Um, anyway, I was just calling because…because I was looking over some of my notes for macro and I don't understand some of it. I thought maybe you could help me out. So, yeah…call me back if you can. Otherwise…I don't know. Look, I'm sorry, too. There's really no reason for us to be arguing…um, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

I think, along with being the worst liar and the biggest klutz in the state of Florida, I was the worst voicemail message leaver.

I snapped my phone shut but set it to vibrate before I set it down. I went over another few pages of notes before making a final run through of everything. I had already taken the day off of work on Friday in advance, so I had nothing else to worry about before I undressed and slipped under the covers.

I was halfway to a fantasy about Jacob when my phone buzzed loudly against my bedside table and woke me.

"Hello?" I answered groggily while I pushed my hair from my face and sat up on my elbow.

"Bella?" A tentative voice asked.

"Rose, hey."

"Hi."

There was an awkward silence that passed – Rose didn't know what to say, and I was still trying to wake up and wipe the fuzziness from my mind. I was glad she called me back, but damn, I was just getting to the good part of my dream.

"I got your message. And I'm so sorry Bella; I don't know why I acted like that. It was so stupid of me, I mean, I shouldn't be telling you how to live your life. And I see how you're coming out of your shell with Jacob, and I think that's great. I was just worried it was too much."

I sighed. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean anything bad by it."

"Good." With that, it was settled. Neither Rose nor I liked to let things linger, and it wasn't like this was anything major anyway.

"And, oh, you called about something for school?"

"Yeah, I have my final tomorrow and I couldn't figure out something in my notes. But I think I got it," I said.

"Oh, okay, good. Sorry, I would've called back sooner if I knew you needed the help, but I didn't have my phone. I was out with…nevermind."

"Emmett?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," she sighed.

"Awww," I cooed and she shushed me from the other end of the phone.

"Well, I think we're dating now. Like, officially."

If I wasn't awake before, this definitely woke me up. "Really? Rose, that's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks. It's just, you know…we're trying to take things slow. It's difficult, though, because we're very comfortable with each other already and it's easier to act that way, too."

Rose talked for a few more minutes before she insisted I hang up the phone and get a full eight hours of sleep and a good breakfast before my test tomorrow. Well, at least I still had a chance for that breakfast, but the hours of sleep flew by me.

The final exam was about as hard as I expected. There weren't any surprises, and I was grateful for that. I found myself rushing through the exam because I was eager to get on my way to Jacob's, even though I mentally tried to slow myself down. It seemed that my realization of the limited time I had left to be with him only intensified my desire to be around him.

Jacob was outside with Sam and Paul tossing a football when I pulled up in my truck. I hopped out; my sandals made a loud clomping sound against the pavement beneath me, and all the guys turned in my direction. I laughed when I realized they hadn't heard the sputtering and groaning of my truck's engine, since it ran so smoothly now.

"Hey, Bells," Jake said after greeting me with a kiss. "How was your test?"

"It went okay. I think I did pretty well." I hugged my arms around his upper half eagerly.

"That's great!" I fit perfectly in the space just beneath his arm when he had his arm around my shoulders.

Paul nodded in my direction, but Sam came over to say hello briefly. "Is this how you guys warm up for a race?" I asked.

Sam tossed the football between his hands and laughed. "There's nothing we can do except relax. And then eventually we have to load the trailer."

I nodded and felt Jake tug on my hand. "Let's go inside," he said. It was pretty quiet in the house, where I followed Jacob upstairs and into one of the rooms. He pushed open one of the doors, stretched his arm towards the room, and led me in.

I took in the space around me as I walked in. The room was big, painted all white with big windows that faced the yard opposite the door we just walked in. Everything was simple and understated, and all colored in black and white. It belonged in a magazine. There was a flat screen on the wall across from the bed, along with a bunch of other stereo equipment I didn't recognize and an empty desk and dresser on one side.

"Sit, sit," Jake insisted. I sat down on the edge of his bed softly, and he pulled the desk chair closer for himself. "Sorry there's not much going on, but I wasn't sure what time you were getting here, and we won't be headed to the track for another hour.

I nodded. "It's okay."

"I'm really excited for you to come tonight, Bella."

"Me too," I said with a genuine smile.

"It would be better if I was racing," he laughed, "but I'm sure you will see that again."

"So, um, this is the last one, huh…" I bit my lip and gauged his reaction, since I had no idea what it would be. Jacob and I hadn't exactly defined what our relationship was – if this was going to continue or if I was just a temporary fling while he was in Florida. Either way I wouldn't mind._ Okay, so maybe that's a lie…_

"Last one," he repeated.

"And when you go back…?" I trailed off, not knowing how to say what I wanted to say.

I watched Jacob slide off the chair and kneel in front of me at the foot of the bed. He pushed his fingers threw mine and rested our intertwined hands on the bed. "Come back with me." He said it so quietly I almost thought I was hearing things.

"W-What?"

"We're going out tomorrow night to celebrate – the whole crew is going to be together for our last night of this round in Florida. You'll be there, right?" He asked evasively.

"Of course," I said immediately.

"Good." He lifted himself off the ground so that our faces were aligned. I closed my eyes when he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. Slowly, he stood up further and moved forward so he was almost leaning over me. We didn't break the kiss, and my body moved with his, in the same directions, in sync.

There was some emotion behind the kiss that I couldn't place, but I ignored it when Jacob knelt over me on his knees, then let go of my hands to pull my entire body up towards the center of the bed. He pulled away slightly and I looked up at him breathlessly with a smile on my face.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed before he kissed me again. His tongue fought with my own and I moaned. I had gone without any of this for so long that my body was hyper aware of any kind of touch; especially coming from a hot, tanned, built, sexy drag racer who was kissing my neck in a way that made we want to do very dirty things to him.

Neither of us bothered to make sure the door was closed, but really it was the last thing on my mind. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my fingers knotted in his shaggy hair. His groaned and his hands started an exploration of their own.

He kissed down my neck and traced his tongue over my collar bone until he fisted the hem of my shirt in his hand and tugged it down so his lips could reach more skin. I could feel the ache starting in a familiar place in the pit of my stomach, and then there was a little bit of dread.

I'd only ever been with Edward, and I didn't exactly have much experience besides hearing stories from Rose and the girls at school who liked to talk in detail about things I'd rather not be privy too. Edward and I didn't have sex until months after we were in a committed relationship, which I don't think I was in with Jacob yet. It was even weeks after 'I love you's were said. It had been good to wait and get to know each other first, but with Jacob everything was different and I found myself in uncharted waters.

I wanted this. I wasn't afraid to go this far with him, and I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. It felt so good to be with him like this.

I could tell he thought it felt good too when I felt his erection up against my stomach as he pressed more of his weight onto my body. My hip shamelessly lifted up off the bed and created more friction in the right spot. My breath was coming in heavier and louder pants, but I wasn't embarrassed.

My head fell back on the bed and my eyes were closed. I felt Jacob's warm hand creep underneath my shirt and cup one of my breasts. I groaned and pulled his mouth to mine to kiss him roughly. He moved faster then; his hand pulled my bra down until my nipple was exposed and he traced his finger around until it hardened under his touch.

I slipped my fingers beneath the waistband of his pants and they rested against the skin there. Jacob lifted my shirt up and sucked on the spot where his fingers just left. My back arched and I held him tighter to me.

"Quil! Come on; we're loading up!" Neither Jake nor I heard the footsteps that alerted us to Leah's presence in the hallway, just a step away from being in our doorway. Her voice broke us out of the trance we were in, and I hurried to adjust my shirt and smooth out my clothes.

Jake sighed, kissed me again lightly, and stood up while he mumbled something about Leah's bad timing underneath his breath.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" We heard Quil yell from down the hall.

"Quil!" Leah shrieked. "What the hell? Why the fuck is your hair _pink_?" Jacob burst out laughing and fell on his bed with his hand clutched to his stomach. I looked down and tried to hold in a giggle. "You can't go to the races like that! Photographers are gonna be there, and your hair is fucking pink! What in the hell possessed you to dye your hair pink?"

Quil was in front of the doorway now and saw me standing in Jacob's room. I was still trying to adjust my clothes so it looked like I hadn't just been making out with and dry humping his roommate.

"It's not my fault!" He insisted as he cracked under Leah's angry glare. He pointed a finger at me and Leah turned to see us. "Bella made me do it!"

My jaw dropped and I narrowed my eyes at Quil. I opened my mouth to speak but Leah interrupted with an exaggerated groan. "Christ, Jacob, I hope you're wrapping your shit up."

Jacob got off the bed and stood beside me, and he rolled his eyes in Leah's direction. "Lee…" he started.

"No!" She yelled. "I don't even want to hear the pathetic excuses. Get the slut out of here; we have a race to get too." She turned around and began to walk towards the stairs. I pulled myself out of Jacob's arms and stomped towards her.

"Bella," I heard Jacob warn, but I ignored him.

"Excuse me?" I shouted. Leah spun around and faced me with an annoyed expression.

"The door is right down there." She pointed below the staircase and through the foyer. "I'm sure you're smart enough to find you way out."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I demanded in a voice that wasn't entirely my own. I don't think I've ever spoken like this to anyone. It was always easier to be the quiet one who let this pass by without speaking up. But this shit wasn't working for me right now.

"Bitch, this is my house," she responded and started walking back up the stairs towards where I was at the top.

"I don't give a shit. It's Jacob's house, too, and I'm here with him right now. If you have a problem with me then say it to my face – don't talk about me like I'm not even here. You don't even know me and you have no fucking right to talk to me like that!"

Her grimace turned into an arrogant smirk and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Sweetheart, I've seen the trash these boys bring home. So don't think you're special just because you're fucking with big shots now."

"Why don't you just fuck off and mind your own damn business!"

Leah had the nerve to tilt her head back in laughter. "Hey, I was just trying to save you some heartache, darling. Keep fucking with Jacob, and you're going to get hurt. I can guarantee it," she sneered.

"Alright Leah, that's enough." Jacob came in front of me and tried to move me down the hallway a bit while Leah laughed and jogged down the stairs.

"Put on a fucking hat, Quil!" She yelled from downstairs.

I was shaking with rage and Jacob ran his hands up and down my arms to try and calm me. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella. I really don't know what her problem is." I had a few more choice words to describe her, but I bit my tongue for Jacob's sake.

"Whatever."

"Will you still come and watch the race? I promise," he said quickly before I could protest, "we won't be around her at all. We can walk around and watch from the sidelines, even in the pit. You'll have a backstage pass. And Leah will be racing, and when she is focused she doesn't even think about anything else. She'll be on her best behavior."

"I don't know, Jacob." I had been looking forward to seeing some night drag racing, but my mood had been totally destroyed. On the other hand, I didn't want to back down and have Leah think she was winning by my absence.

"Please?" Jacob said, with his bottom lip sticking out and eyes begging. "Pretty please?"

I giggled and playfully smacked his arm. "Fine! Let's go, you goof."

**Whew! Review and I'll love you forever ! I wanna know what you thought of : Claire being Quil's daughter? (My explanation: I like the idea of Quil being this playful, child-like, free spirit, yet he has a little one who has him wrapped around her finger. I'm not a fan of imprinting, and I wanted Claire to still be young, so *bam* , she's Quil's daughter. Nothing weird going on! Just a father-daughter) What do you think of Quil having a daughter in the first place?**

**Do we hate Leah? Do we understand her? Do we understand her but we still hate her?**

**What's going to happen with Jacob and Bella when the crew flies back to WA? **

**Chapter 17 TEASER: Phil and Renee come home and invade Bella's space...the crew parties up their last night in FL...Bella gets into a scuffle with a girl at the bar (not Leah!)...and there's a lot more Jake&Bells time ;)**


	17. Abracadabra

**A/N: Before I let you go on to this chapter I want to clear up some things:**

**1) I got some responses about Jake's lack of coming to Bella's defense when she was 'attacked' by Leah. It was a dumb move on his part, but he and Leah have a close bond and he knows her attitude and is wary of starting a schism within the crew. He's kind of ignoring Leah's outbursts hoping they'll just stop.**

**2) There's also an issue with Bella's behavior in her reaction to Leah and also her dealings with Jessica. It may seem immature at times, but remember that she just got out of a relationship where she had to hold a lot in. So now she's 'free' and not afraid to speak her mind, and she may take it too far at times.**

**3) On the topic of Leah and her harsh words – we saw that one of the reasons behind her dislike of the crew 'groupies' is due to Claire being left behind by her mother who was only after Quil's money. Which, in Leah's defense, is a valid reason to be put off by any girls the crew brings home, BUT there is more reasoning behind her attitude, and we will get there.**

**4) There was a street race between Jacob and a 'silver Volvo'. I'm not saying it was Edward and I'm not saying it wasn't Edward. You're on your own with that one.**

**5) As far as timing, I kind of made a mistake. Bella went to Gainesville to see the races for her birthday around September, took her finals for school, so now it would be around December and she's finished up the semester. Baseball season would have been over back in the fall, but in this fic, it wasn't! Haha.**

**Also, thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter – we made it to 300! With that said, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the characters. I do not own the song Abracadabra, nor do I own the lyrics. LiveTrue recc'd the song. Thanks Cyd!**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 17 _Abracadabra  
See I just don't usually do this,  
But you're bringing me out.  
'Cuz you got my heart unlocked,  
It's so unreal, you know.  
Don't want this to stop,  
You're so damn keepable.  
Feel your magic touch,  
It's unbelieveable.  
I gotta have you,  
Like abracadabra._

"Bella! We're home, honey. Bella?"

I hurried down the stairs in the sweatpants and oversized sweater I had worn to bed and ran to greet my mom. I heard Phil huffing and groaning as he tried to heave the suitcases through the doorway.

"Mom!" I threw my arms around her in an embrace.

"Oh, Bella, I missed you sweetie," she said.

"I missed you, too," I told her. She was wearing a crisp pair of jeans and solid purple blouse. Her face looked tired and aged since I'd seen her last. Phil followed in behind her and I said hello to him as well.

"Oh! It's so good to be home," my mom exclaimed as she fell onto one of the kitchen chairs. On one hand, it was nice to see both my mom and Phil. On the other, I had been getting used to living on my own and every time they came back my routine became scrambled.

My mother Renee and I were pretty opposite. I was neat, and I liked things to be in order, but my mother attracted clutter and she despised cleaning. It was easy to keep the condo clean while she and Phil were on the road, but cleaning became a lot of work once both of them were home.

"How was the season?" I asked Phil.

"It went well," he answered. Phil and I had a special kind of relationship. He made my mother happy, and he looked after her so I didn't have too. So if she was happy, I was happy. After they married, Phil and I weren't obligated to spend any time together, and I already had decided to move to Forks, where I lived with Charlie and finished high school.

"What's been going on around here while we've been gone?" My mom asked. Phil left us alone to gossip and continued dragging the luggage upstairs.

I started to make myself a cup of coffee and then sat down next to my mother. "Not much."

"Not much?" She laughed. "I've been gone for months and all you have to say is not much?"

"Well, I took finals on Friday for school. Work is going good."

"Have you spoken to Edward?" She asked softly.

I suddenly became very interested in the chip on the table and picked at it with my nail. "No."

"How've you been?"

I looked up at her and answered honestly. One thing about my mom is she wasn't judgmental or pushy, and she always made it easy to talk to her. "I've been good, actually. Rosalie and I have spent a lot more time together, and I've meet some new people, like her friends from work. I'm not lonely. My whole reason for taking a break from my relationship with Edward was so I could focus on myself and be young. I felt like I was being held back by being 'Edward's girlfriend'. But now…now I'm really not worried about what anyone else thinks except myself. And I don't care who likes that or not. I don't regret it."

"Well, I certainly can see a difference. I think that's great, Bella." I stood up and brought my coffee to the table. "Do you want to go to dinner tonight with Phil and me?"

I laughed and shook my head at the turn in conversation. My mother's mind ran at an inhumane speed and she was always jumping from one topic to another.

"Maybe another night, Mom. I have…plans." Jacob had confirmed the spot we would be partying at tonight. He and the whole crew were celebrating their runs in Florida, and I was excited to see these guys in action. If I was being honest, I was also a little intimidated to see if I could keep up. This would be their last night in the state; tomorrow morning they were packing up and driving back to Washington. I had invited Rosalie and Emmett, too.

"Plans? Where are you going?" Another reason I didn't like when my mom was home – she was always in my business.

"I'm meeting with Rosalie and some friends," I responded vaguely. I knew my mother would love to hear about my time spent with Jacob, but if I told her she'd want to meet him and I'd get a hundred questions thrown in my face about him. So, I decided to keep him to myself for a little bit longer.

"That sounds fun! Oh, and it reminds me- you have to see all the cute outfits I bought you! Maybe you can wear one tonight!" My coffee was left abandoned on the kitchen table as Renee latched onto my arm and dragged me outside to the car, where more bags were still waiting in the trunk. I wondered if Phil had made it up the stairs with those first two yet.

She pulled out a two medium-sized duffel bags and slung them over her shoulder, then she ushered me inside and handed me item by item until I had tried on every stitch of clothing she purchased. Usually, Renee's more modern taste went to the back of my closet and was hidden behind my comfortable tops and jeans. But now, I lingered in front of the mirror and admired each outfit, unafraid of showing a little extra skin.

I fell in love with one of the dressed Renee had brought me home. It was a simple little black dress that ended on my thighs. It wasn't drastically low-cut in the front, but more than my usual allowance. There were thick straps over my shoulders instead of sleeves, and it outlined every curve. It even passed Rosalie's test.

"That dress is hot, Bella," Rosalie warned. "Are you dressing up for your lover?" She teased.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "No. Yes. Oh, what the hell!"

"So who are we meeting tonight?" Rose asked me.

"The whole crew. Jacob and his mechanics on his team. And…well, I don't know about Leah. But they're celebrating their last night in Florida and he said all of them would be there, so she might show up. That could get interesting," I sneered sarcastically.

Rose bent down to slide on her shoes. "Why?"

"We don't get along," I answered, putting it mildly.

"Oh, right, I remember. Well, I meant to tell you – I had a meeting with her this morning. She's decided to use me on a trial basis as the team's PR."

"Really? Oh, that's great, Rose. Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I don't know why she has something against you though. She was so nice to me; I actually really liked her. She's all into female empowerment and being a strong woman. I can tell she's a hard worker, too. We really hit it off."

"Well good for you," I grumbled.

"You know, maybe she really does still think you're after Jacob for fame or money or something like that. Honestly Bella, I'm sure those guys get a lot of girls after them for those type of things, and plus, they're good looking. And if Leah lives with them, she probably sees all of it. So in a way, you can't blame her."

I threw my hands up in the air. "But does that give her the right to call me a bitch and a whore?"

"Whoa, I didn't say that. Maybe you should try talking to her, woman to woman, and tell her that you don't need Jacob for his money and you're successful on your own. If she sees that you really like him, she might back off."

Rosalie helped me pin up most of my hair in a bun and pull out some pieces from the sides. The strands that framed my face skimmed the top of my bare shoulders and I prayed that it would look the same way when we got to the club.

Emmett drove us and we immediately found Jacob's crew howling at a table near the end of the bar. I noticed each of the guys, but Leah wasn't with them. I secretly hoped she wasn't at the club at all.

"Bella's here!" Jacob's pushed his seat back and got up to give me a hug. I smiled at all the guys and introduced them to Rosalie and Emmett. I could see Emmett's grin at the realization that he would be around some fellow testosterone tonight instead of just me and Rose.

"You look amazing," Jacob said into my ear.

A bartender came around and squeezed through the guys to place a bunch of shot glasses filled with clear liquid in the center of all of us. All the guys reached for one, but Sam stopped everyone. "Wait! Can we get three more?" He pointed to me, Rosalie, and Emmett and the bartender nodded and brought back shots for us.

The night went on much the same as that – drinking, dancing, and laughing. Emmett became fast friends with all of the guys which I was happy about. I danced with Jacob, but Quil and Embry insisted I save dances for them as well. They were a lot of fun to be around, and I felt myself let my guard down much faster than I'm used to. It wasn't a bad thing, but I wasn't embarrassed to dance or let myself have a good time in front of them -I wasn't afraid to be the real Bella.

I was dancing with Jacob when Rosalie interrupted and whisked me away for a 'bathroom break.'

"Emmett seems to be getting along with the guys pretty well," I said.

Rosalie nodded and fluffed her hair in the mirror. "Yeah, he does. You know, I thought it would be career suicide to go out for drinks at a nightclub with potential clients, but they don't seem like the over-professional type. Thank God! I think I actually have some normal clients," she laughed.

"Aren't you working with Leah?" I asked.

"Well, Leah said she handles the business side of things, so I had to go through her."

"Oh, got it." I touched up my makeup and adjusted my dress, but when I walked out of the bathroom and found our table again all my effort became futile. My body and face heated and my eyes zoned in on the dark-haired and curvy body I saw whose backside was blocking Jacob from my view. Her body rested up against the bar, and she leaned in close to Jacob.

I was not in the mood for this tonight. I never considered myself a jealous type of person, but seeing that situation really sparked the emotion deep inside me. Before I had time to think about it, I was stalking toward them. I ignored the girl and slipped in the tiny space between her and Jacob to sit right in his lap.

I slung an arm around his neck and aggressively pulled him to me in an unashamed kiss. He went right along with it, probably not even realizing my intent. He put an arm around my waist and crushed me tighter to his body. I parted my lips and let my tongue swipe against his and dominate for control. When we pulled away a moment later I saw the girl still staring, although the space between her and Jacob was greater now.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and giggled. "Oh! I'm sorry." I held my hand out in her direction. "I'm Bella."

She smirked sarcastically but turned away without a word. Jacob snorted in laughter and the guys shouted in whistles and laughter. Rosalie may have given me a standing ovation, but I shyly pretended not to notice.

"That was fucking hot," Jacob whispered hotly in my ear. His hands were sweeping over the insides of my upper thighs and I felt wetness pool between my legs.

"What? I didn't do anything," I said.

He groaned and the sound only increased my desire for him. "Don't act all innocent, Bella. I know you're really a bad girl."

I bit my lip and couldn't come up with anything to say. Besides, who was I to disagree? I shifted in his lap and used my arms to pull myself up so I was the same height as him. I kissed him and his lips moved hard and urgent; I lost myself in him.

With a gasp I found myself plopped out of Jacob's lap with my feet on the floor as he stood up. He kissed my lips once more before he grabbed my hand and began to pull me toward the exit.

"Stay with me tonight." He turned to look at me with dark eyes and I returned his gaze with equal fervor. I knew he was asking and not telling; I could say no if I wanted to. I didn't want to.

"Let me just tell Rose."

I let go of his hand and weaved through the crowd until I found Rosalie who was dancing all up on Emmett. I almost felt bad intruding.

"Rose! I'm leaving with Jacob. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" I gave her a look and tried to convey what I wanted to say without actually saying it out loud.

She squealed and gave me a tight hug while Emmett's arms were still around her waist. It looked like he had one too many drinks trying to keep up with the crew. I found Jacob again and followed him to the car. It was the Mustang again.

I was jittery with excitement and anticipation for the whole ride back to Jacob's house. He maneuvered the car through the circular driveway with one hand and we got out simultaneously. Both of us were quiet, but Jake led me by my hand inside the house and after a moment of hesitation, into the kitchen.

The moment of heat and passion we shared at the club had dissipated and cooled down a bit, and I started to feel a little awkward standing there in the kitchen.

"Drink?" Jacob asked as he pulled open the fridge.

"Um, sure." I rested my purse on the countertop and gratefully took the glass of whatever it was that Jacob poured and then handed to me.

A glance at the clock told me it was already after midnight. I wondered how long we would have the house to ourselves before the crew came barreling through the doors.

"Is Leah home?" I cringed – that was not the topic I wanted to bring up right now.

Jacob shook his head. "Nope."

"She hates me," I blurted out.

"She doesn't hate you." I narrowed my eyes at Jacob. "Okay, she doesn't entirely like you either. It's nothing personal – she's just like that. Leah can be…hard to get along with."

"Does she think I'm after money or some kind of sliver of fame or something?" I asked.

Jacob took a gulp of his drink and shrugged after he set the empty glass on the table. "Maybe."

He was so nonchalant about the situation, and it was starting to bug me. If Leah thought that was the case, than what prevented the rest of the crew from believing it as well?

"You don't feel that way, right?" I said with a soft voice. Jacob reached a finger under my chin and turned my face up to look at him.

"Hey, c'mon. You can't possibly believe that I think that way about you." When I didn't respond, he sighed. "Look, just don't worry about Leah or what she thinks. I don't care. I've never had something like what you and I have. It's easy; I feel like I don't have to try around you, I don't have to do anything to impress you. You accept me for who I am, and you accept my friends for who they are- which God knows most people can't do," he continued with a laugh. "I don't want this to end once I go back to Washington."

I let out a breath I had unconsciously been holding and smiled at Jacob's confession. "Me either," I admitted.

"Good." He gently pulled my face toward him so our lips met. It was a type of kiss I hadn't shared with Jacob yet – slow, sweet, and almost painful. I felt the sting that loomed overhead; both of us were thinking about how we soon would be parting ways, but neither wanted to believe it. It tugged at my heart to think that all of this would be gone tomorrow.

I threw my arms around his neck and in response Jacob pulled me off the chair and wrapped my body around his waist. How he carried me to the bedroom tangled up that way I'm not sure, but eventually my back fell against the soft comforter. His shirt was already bunched up under his arms; I had pushed it up in my haste to feel his body under my hands.

My body was buzzing and I felt myself agonizing with need for this man. He stood in front of where I laid on the bed and tugged the material of his shirt over his head before he pulled me towards him by my waist and slipped his hands underneath my dress.

Once I was naked below him he popped open the button on his jeans and slid them to the floor. He dug into one of the drawers and pulled out a condom. My cheeks flushed red as he slid his boxers down and I admired him.

"Fuck, I'm so hard."

"I could help you with that you know," I teased.

Jacob grinned. "Yeah?"

I nodded slowly, hooked my legs around his waist, and pulled him into me. My back arched instantly at the feeling; Jacob fell forward until he was hovering over me and holding his arms at my sides.

He swore underneath his breath and I stilled to adjust to the new sensation of Jacob filling me completely. He ducked his head and his lips ghosted over my neck to lavish it with attention while he slowly pumped in and out of me. I waited for the aching to stop; soon it was overpowered by the pleasure.

Jacob's heavy breaths fell on my neck and my chest and the sounds coming from my throat surprised me.

"Oh my God…baby…fuck, you're so…tight and…wet and…" he grunted.

I felt his fingers roll over my nipple and my hold around his waist grew tighter. My hands found purchase on the bed and with a groan my hips started to move in time with Jacob's.

"Jacob, I-I-"

"Yeah…come for me, baby," he purred. I welcomed the build of pressure in my center until it snapped and my climax reached every inch of my body. I screamed out as it happened and Jacob held me impossibly tighter. His hands were on both of my hips and he guided me until I watched his face contort and he spilled into the condom barrier between us.

Moments later, he leaned down to kiss me sweetly and hummed in appreciation. "That was amazing." He left me alone in the bedroom for a few minutes and I crawled to the top of the bed and slipped underneath the crisp sheets.

"Comfortable?" Jacob chuckled and joined me.

"Mm-hmm…"

"I'm glad you stayed over," he said.

"Me too." I snuggled closer to him and my eyes drifted close contently.

"Rise and shine boys! We leave at noon!" The banging on the bedroom door and yelling woke my out of the most comfortable sleep. I hid my face in the pillow and willed the morning to hold off for a few more hours.

"Go away," I heard Jacob grumbled from beside me.

Five minutes later Leah seemed to be making rounds again; she banged on each bedroom door on her way back up the hall. Jacob threw the pillow over his head and I giggled at the sight. "Let's go people! You know I'll throw these doors open and haul your sorry asses out of bed!"

"Damnit, Leah! Can you keep your fucking voice down?" I heard Quil yell.

"Drink too much?" She yelled back, louder.

"Ugh," he groaned. "You know it."

"What time is it?" I asked and looked around the room to find a clock.

"Too damn early," was Jacob's response.

I laughed again and padded out of bed to find my cell phone in my purse. Jacob lifted his head off the pillow to watch me go. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for my purse."

"I think it's downstairs," he offered.

"Oh, crap. You're right. I'll be right back." Jacob's shirt and a pair of his boxers were in a heap at the foot of the bed, and I hurriedly threw them on. I assumed all of the guys were still in bed, since Leah continued her manic pounding on their doors. I told myself I didn't care if Leah saw me like this because she was a girl, but truthfully a small part of me wanted her to catch me in Jacob's clothes.

I sprinted down the stairs in stealth mode and spotted my purse on the counter through the archway from the foyer. What I couldn't see from there was Seth hidden behind the open refrigerator door. If he spun around, I would be directly in his line of sight. I hurried to snatch up my purse and run, but he turned around at the same moment.

His eyes met my state of dress and they widened at the sight. My face flush and I stammered to come up with an excuse. "I-I…uh…"

Seth held his hand up and backed away from the counter. "As long as it wasn't in my car, I don't want to know."

I laughed loudly, clutched my purse to my chest, and scurried back to Jacob's room. He laid on the bed, his naked chest exposed down to the waist where the light sheet sinfully hid the rest of him. One of the pillows was still over his head.

My cell phone displayed a text message from Rosalie, received this morning. _Everything ok?_, it read. I texted her back and shoved my phone in my purse after checking the time. If Leah's schedule was correct, the crew had two hours to get themselves in motion.

I stood up, walked over to the side of the bed, and gently lifted the pillow off of Jacob's face. He was squinting up at me with one eye open and a playful smile on his face.

"Are you going to get up?"

"I don't wanna," he whined. I laughed and curled into his side. "Fuck it. I'm staying just like this," he said and wrapped an arm around me to bring me closer.

"You can't," I protested, even though I wanted exactly that.

"And why can't I?" He pulled me on top of him like it required no effort on his part and I was straddling his waist. His hands traveled underneath his shirt that I was wearing to brush against my skin. "I'll tell Sam to throw most of my stuff in the trailer, and they can leave me the mustang –no, the audi. I'll drive back in a couple days…weeks."

"Don't you have things to do once you get back to Washington?" I asked.

"Nothing I can't cancel," he shrugged. "Come on; let me go tell the guys." He patted my leg for me to get up as well, and I searched the room for my clothes. My dress I knew would be wrinkled since it was in a heap over my shoes at the foot of the bed. My hand dove under the comforter to feel around for my bra or panties. My underwear was there in a crumpled mess, but I didn't find my bra until I dropped to the floor and looked under the bed.

"How in the hell…" I mumbled to myself.

"Do you want to borrow anything?" Jacob asked. He was already dressed in a comfy looking pair of pajama pants. I almost said no but I changed my mind at the last minute.

"Sure." I shoved my panties in my purse but clasped my bra in place and pulled last night's dress over my head. Jake mulled through his closet and threw me a hoodie after I slipped my heels on my sore feet. It was soft and it smelled like him and my first thought was that I never wanted to take it off.

I followed him out into the hallway where Leah was standing. To my surprise, she barely glanced in my direction, and she didn't say a word to me. Instead, she handed Jake two empty duffel bags.

"Here. Shower, take everything out of your room, and get a move on. We have to load up the cars soon and figure out who is driving what. There's bagels downstairs, I went out this morning and bought them from Luke's, so grab one before we hit the road. We're not stopping until we go through a few states."

Leah spun on her heel to walk away but Jacob's words stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm not going."

"You're what?"

"I'm saying here. For a few more days, maybe a week or two."

Leah crossed her arms over her chest. "We have a meeting with Harry planned for the day we get back, Jacob."

"You can handle it Lee, can't you?" Jacob pouted. I saw Leah's hard-ass façade falter for a moment before her wall went back up. _She has a soft spot for Jacob,_ I noticed.

"Are you resigning from the team?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Well you have responsibilities at home. You need to be present at that meeting – you know how Harry gets. We've been away from home for almost two months."

"Fine." Jacob stormed back into his bedroom and Leah gave me a sad smile before she walked away. Jacob captured me into a hug. "I'm sorry. It's just this one damn meeting that I can't miss."

"It's okay," I lied. "We both knew this was going to happen eventually." He pulled back and searched my face.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I stumbled for words under his intense gaze. "I just meant that you knew I lived here in Florida, and I knew that you live in Washington. Eventually you'd have to go back."

"Oh," he relaxed. "Right."

"You'll still…keep in touch, right? I mean, I want to continue…this."

_Do you want to clarify what you mean by _this_?_, I thought. "Of course."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

**Review ! **


	18. That's What You Get

**I loved all the reviews I got from the last chapter ! I didn't get to reply to each one, but please know that I appreciate all of them !**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, SM does. I don't own the chapter title song, Paramore does.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 18_That's What You Get  
No, sir, well I don't want to be the blame, not anymore.  
It's your turn, so take a seat,  
We're settling the final score.  
Why do we like to hurt so much?  
I can't decide, you have made it harder,  
Just to go on.  
That's what you get  
When you let your heart win.  
I wonder,  
How am I supposed to feel  
When you're not here.  
__'Cause I burned every bridge I ever built  
When you were here.  
_

"Bella!" Angela had been clearing her throat behind me for the past five minutes trying to get my attention and had resorted to calling out my name when that didn't work.

"What?" I growled as I spun around.

Her wide and panicked eyes directed me two feet to her left. Irina Denali, the floor supervisor and director was standing with her arms folded across her chest and a pissed off frown on her face.

Fuck. My. Life.

My week had started off like any other. Except now my new exciting life with Jacob was gone, since he was driving back to Washington, and my old, dull life was back in place. I had taken on double shifts at work to make up for the days I had taken off and to get my mind off Jacob.

My mother had also decided that the Phil's team should come over more often and she was going to try cooking again – which was why I had been sleeping at Rose's the past few nights. Even that proved to be difficult since Emmett was always sleeping over, and those two loved their alone time.

All of those things combined had left me with little sleep since my schedule was so off track. The lack of sleep left me moody and the lack of Jacob was making me frustrated – quickly.

Jessica Stanley had chosen this time to get under my skin for the one and final time. It was early in the morning and I had already worked the night before. At first, her comments and rude remarks were semi-easy to ignore. I would huff and walk away, and I hoped she would give up after a while, but she didn't.

When her digs started getting personal was when I snapped. My plan was to end it and tell her off so that all this bullshit would stop. Of course it backfired.

"Hi Irina," Jessica waved from behind me. Irina nodded and politely asked Jessica to get back to her work. She gave me what I'm sure was meant to be an intimidating look and turned on her heel.

"Bella, a word, please." I knew I was already on her shit list. Jessica had been feeding her complaints and half-truths to get me fired. By the way Irina looked, I knew this had been the last straw. I was drained, both physically and mentally, and I wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse in bed where Jacob should be waiting.

"Irina, you don't have to. I quit." My bottom lip was sucked between my teeth with my own surprise at the words that had just sputtered out of my mouth. Irina halted, but without turning she spoke again.

"I'm sure that's for the best." She waved a hand at Angela. "Can you take care of that, please?" Her heels clicked down the hallway and then Irina was gone.

"Bella! What are you doing?" Angela asked and rushed over to me.

"I can't do it anymore. This job has turned into hell and I don't want to be here anymore. Can you send the paperwork or whatever I need to fill out to my house please? I'm leaving."

"Yeah, sure," she said softly and began to pull papers from a deep filing cabinet at the nurse's station.

"Thanks." I didn't look at Jessica to watch her do her happy-dance; I grabbed my purse and keys and drove. Driving always gave me peace and quiet to think – which I wouldn't have at my parent's house or Rose's.

My mind went through the initial stages of shock. At first, I was floored that a scene like that actually happened and I made such a ballsy move as to walk out of my job. Then I was giddy with adrenaline and pride that I was such a badass. And finally, after a while, reality and doubt set in and I wondered if that was a completely stupid decision; I walked out of a stable, good-paying job and had no other openings lined up. But then I thought of how much I couldn't stand Jessica and how I knew nursing wasn't going to be my long-time career anyway and I felt much better.

I ended up grabbing a greasy breakfast from a dinner on the highway and then crashing at Rose's for a hot shower and well-deserved nap.

"Bella? Bella, you alright?" Rosalie was standing over me.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I sat up and immediately felt the crick in my neck from choosing to sleep on the couch.

"Oh. You were talking in your sleep." She walked into the kitchen and came back with her arms full of Chinese take-out.

"What did I say?" I cringed.

"Don't know. But it sounded bad." I groaned and fell back onto the couch.

"Here." Rose handed me a pair of chopsticks and one of the boxes. "You look like you could use this. What's up?"

Similar to Rosalie, I opened up the boxes and maneuvered a slippery piece of chicken into my mouth. I chewed slowly with my eyes close before I dropped the news on her.

"I quit my job."

She nodded and took another bite before responding. "Why?"

"Jessica was chatting away, as usual, and saying all these stupid things to try and get under my skin. I ignored her for a while successfully, but then she started talking about my personal life which is none of her business and I snapped on her. And my boss walked in and watched the whole thing."

"Ouch."

"Well," I corrected, "she only saw the part where I blew up and freaked out in Jessica's face. Of course she didn't hear all the nasty stuff Jessica said to provoke it."

"Did you tell her that part? Then Jessica would have gotten fired," Rosalie said.

"I doubt it. Jessica's been in her office almost every day with new information on me. Ever since I opened my big fucking mouth and bragged that I was going out with Jacob she's had it out for me. I should never have said anything."

"It's not your fault. She's crazy!" Rose insisted.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Me leaving that job was probably a long time coming. Honestly, I like the work and I love taking care of my patients, but you know that nursing isn't what I want to do ultimately."

"Right. I know. Alright, so maybe it's a good thing that you don't have to worry about that negative job anymore. Have you thought about what you're going to do now though?"

"Nope."

"Are you crashing here tonight?" She asked.

I scrunched up my face. "Is Emmett coming over?"

"Probably not tonight. Does it bother you when he's here?"

"No!" I answered. "Not at all; I love Emmett. He's great – I just feel like I've been intruding this past week by staying over here so much."

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. You know you can stay here whenever you like, Emmett or no Emmett. Besides, we could always go to his place too, but he doesn't mind hanging out with you," she teased.

"Oh yeah, why don't you ever go to his place?"

Rosalie frowned and pushed around her food. "I don't get along with his roommate." There was a moment until the pieces clicked in my head.

"What? Edward has a problem with you staying over there?"

"No. Well, yes. I mean, he _says_ he doesn't but it's so obvious he does. Of course, Emmett can bring whoever he wants over the house; he pays half the rent, after all. But Edward is just…"

"A pain in the ass?" I finished for her.

She let out a small laugh and looked up at me. "Kind of."

We had a few laughs and I set down the Chinese food on the coffee table before it spilled all over Rose's couch. "It's okay if you talk about him, you know. I don't mind."

"If it bothers you…"

I held out my hand and stopped her. "It doesn't bother me, Rose. I swear. I know when I first broke things off I made it seem like the world was ending. At the time, it kind of felt like it was. I mean, all I knew was Edward and I thought I'd made the worst mistake of my life. But going out and trying new things has been a lot of fun. I know I care about Edward, but I don't care about him…like that…anymore."

I let my words sink in to both of our heads for a moment. When I admitted it out loud I didn't even realize I had long admitted it subconsciously.

"How is he?" I asked.

Rosalie shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't really seen much of him. He's okay, I guess. He's been sulking, according to Emmett, but he's just going to work and school and doing all of that."

"Do you think he's waiting for me to call him?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Thinking back on it, the way I ended things wasn't exactly the best. If we're just 'taking a break', do you think he knows I'm seeing other people? Maybe he doesn't feel like we're broken up, you know. I should have been clearer when I said 'taking a break'."

"Probably. I don't know, Bella."

"Yeah."

"If you feel that way about it though and you're sure you aren't going back to him, then I'd say you should call him."

I groaned and hid my face with my hands. "That is going to be the most awful conversation ever."

We finished eating and I helped Rosalie clean up after our impromptu dinner. She told me about the progress she'd made with Leah and Jacob's team at work. The goal of Rose working with their team would be to spur up positive press and made them more popular; it could possibly gain them more sponsors, more endorsements, and thus, more business.

The night of Leah's final race, Rosalie set up photographers to be there and then she got the pictures into a big drag racing magazine. When she starting talking about that, she got a mischievous glint in her eyes that made me instantly suspicious.

"What are you up to?" I asked slowly.

"Sit here," she instructed as she sprung up from the couch. A minute later she flitted back in the room holding a glossy magazine and handed it to me like a gift on Christmas day.

I narrowed my eyes at her and then glanced at the magazine. The cover was fire red and black with a funny car on the cover. I skimmed over the headlines until one on the bottom right caught my eye.

"Clearwater and Black – the young, fresh faces of NHRA," I read out loud.

"Page twenty-two," Rosalie offered and I rushed to open the page.

In big letters was the name of Jacob and Leah's team, and it sat on top of a professional picture of the whole crew. I looked over the familiar faces in awe. It was a short, two-page spread that mentioned the records Leah and Jacob had broken already in their young careers, and it also talked a little about Jacob's father and Leah's father – former drag racers themselves.

"This is great, Rose!" I wondered if Jacob and Leah had seen it yet. After I skimmed the article, my eyes studied the pictures. There were candid shots of Leah deep in concentration, Leah's car buzzing down the track, the crew doing some mechanical work. They were all scenes from the races on Friday night; my heart stopped when I saw a familiar figure. "Is that _me_?" I screeched.

A glowing girl with long dark hair, a racing cap on her head endorsing Jacob's team, and a fitted tee shirt with jeans and sneakers had two arms wrapped around the waist of a grinning, tanned, built racer who looked down at her in adoration, both of them beside Leah's car.

Rosalie clapped her hands together and bounced up and down while I stared in awe. "That doesn't even look like me!" Cropped in the corner was a quarter-sized photo of Jacob's face with a small caption about how he was out of the race due to an injury. "Did you know this was going to be in here?"

Rosalie shook her head. "No, I didn't see the full article until it was published. But I may have slipped that picture in…"

"Rose!" I laughed. "I should be really mad at you right now because god knows how many people buy this magazine, and _my _picture is in it! But it's so cool!" I gushed.

"Isn't it?"

"Oh no, wait." The pages fell out of my hands and I flipped the cover close again to scrutinize the magazine.

"What?" Rose panicked.

"My dad gets this magazine!" Rosalie looked at me blankly. "Do you know what this means?"

"Um, no?"

"He's going to see me in here – wrapped around a guy! A driver! I have to tell him before he sees this. I can't imagine what he's going to think."

Rosalie and I squealed over my picture for a while longer, and she gave me more than one copy that I stashed in my purse. We popped in a movie and pigged out on some dessert before going to bed way too late.

I would be lying if I said I missed waking up early for work. I was able to sleep for an extra hour and actually wake up feeling like I had a solid night's rest. Rosalie left around eight for her half-day at the office and I used her shower before I packed my things up and headed home.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and got the mail before hiking up the front steps and into the house. When I flipped through the catalogues and white envelopes, I saw one with my name on it – my grades from my final exams. I moved that envelope to the front of the pile so I could open it first.

My mom was on the phone when I walked into the kitchen. I set my things on a chair in the kitchen and opened the envelope.

"Oh, it was just perfect. We loved it," I heard my mom gushing to the person on the other end of the line. "Definitely. Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then." She turned to face me with a giant smile on her face.

"Bella! Guess what?"

"Uh…what?"

"Phil and I bought a house!"

"What?"

"Well, technically we haven't bought it yet, but we went house shopping today and just fell in love with this beautiful one-bedroom right by the ocean. It's got walk-in closets and a brand new kitchen and it has a porch with private access to the beach! You'd just love it," she said. "We're meeting with our realtor tomorrow to put a bid on it, but she says there's no doubt we won't get it. And then she's got to help us sell the condo…"

"You're selling the condo?"

"Yes, there's no reason for us to keep both," she explained.

"No reason? What about me? I heard you say that the house on the beach is a one-bedroom."

Renee sat down and patted the seat beside her at the table. I sat down with a sigh.

"Phil and I figured you'd want to get a place of your own now. This place is too big for just one person. And we'd be willing to help you with the rent while you're still in school."

"So I'm being kicked out?" I exclaimed.

"No, sweetie, of course not. It takes some time for things like buying and selling a house to be processed and completed, so we have time before we have to be out of here."

"Okay," I said, defeated. There was nothing I could do except look for a new place. I'd have to ask Rosalie if she'd want to room with me – she mentioned she wanted to upgrade from her old apartment anyway. I felt like my week was snowballing from bad to worse with all this news. I lost my job, and now I was losing my place to live.

"We just feel like a change. This place is wonderful, but Phil only has maybe another season with the team before they replace him with someone younger. He's been taking that pretty hard. This new house will be perfect for the two of us. It's small enough to care for so that once he's retired we can downsize and spend more time with each other."

My mother's face glowed with enthusiasm and excitement. I couldn't be surprised that she wanted a change; every few years she's move or get a new career or find a new hobby – it was part of her personality to itch for something different after a few years of the same things. It was one of the reasons my parents got divorced – my mother wanted to move out of Forks and try bigger things, and she felt like her marriage was holding her back.

"That's great, Mom. I'm happy for you."

"Oh, thanks Bella. I'm going to go tell Phil to pencil in our appointment with the realtor."

I scooped up the half opened envelope with my grades and my purse with one hand and trudged up the stairs to my bedroom. At least I had some good news – I passed all my classes and did well on my finals, which meant that I was officially a quarter of the way to my business degree.

Jacob called me that night as I was slipping under the covers for bed. "Did I wake you up? He asked.

"No, no, it's fine." I had been exhausted just seconds before, but the butterflies in my stomach that started after I saw his name on my caller ID chased away my sleepiness.

"I didn't remember the three hour time difference until after the phone was ringing," he admitted.

"It's okay. How's La Push?"

"Same as how we left it," he laughed. "I miss warm, sunny Florida though. Almost as much as I miss you."

I blushed and ducked my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Aw, aren't you such a charmer?" I teased.

"I try," he joked. "Seriously though, I feel horrible for leaving like that. I would have loved to just stay and spend more time with you. Leah's a stickler with business meetings and stuff like that – I couldn't get out of it. I really want you to know that…I'm not that guy. That night was amazing, Bella, and I wouldn't have left if-"

"Jake, I understand," I interrupted. "We both knew you had to leave the next morning. I didn't expect you to stay."

He sighed as if he was genuinely relived to hear me say that. "I'm glad you don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," I repeated.

"So you'll agree to see me again?"

I pretended to think about it. "Ummm…I guess so, sure."

"So plan a trip to Washington," he suggested.

"It's tempting," I said. _Especially with no job or house to worry about leaving behind. _

"Hi, Bella!" cooed a deep voice that wasn't Jacob's. I heard kissing sounds before Jacob gained control of the phone again.

"Jared says hello," Jacob said in a wry voice. I giggled and was flattered by the gesture. All of the guys in Jacob's crew had been welcoming and I felt like I had a friendship with all of them. "J, if you keep acting crazy she's never gonna come and visit," Jake scolded, which caused me to laugh some more.

"I swear I'll be on my best behavior," I heard Jared say. "I'll only hit on her once!" I fell back onto my mattress in laughter before curling up again with the phone by my ear.

"Sorry, Bella. We just had dinner at Leah's mother's house and all of us are riled up, as you can tell," he apologized.

"It's okay. It sounds like fun."

Jacob snorted. "Yeah. You know, they all say they miss us when we're gone on the road, but they must forget what we're like when we're actually here."

"Jacob, are you coming?" A woman's voice said in the background. "We're going down to First Beach."

"Be right there," he called. "Can I call you tomorrow?" He asked me.

"Sure. I need to head to bed anyway."

"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Bells."

I spent the next morning lounging in my pajamas and job hunting online. It took me a while to update my resume and then I posted it to various websites. I hadn't decided if I was going to pursue another nursing position or something in the business field yet, but I was leaving my options open.

After that was done, I browsed my college's website to see which classes I wanted to select for my next semester and made a list of the few I was interested in. Since I was online, I opened my email to send a nice letter to my father. I updated him on things that had happened since we'd talked last, and I made a point of mentioning I was seeing a new guy, just to cover my ass in case he saw the picture in the drag racing magazine. I wondered if my father would be happy to hear that Edward and I were no longer together. I'd started dating Edward while we were in high school and while I was living with my father, so he had met Edward plenty of times and been in the company of his family. He'd tolerated Edward, as much as any father would tolerate their teenage daughter's boyfriend, but I suspected he didn't expect us to last long after high school, nor did it seem like he'd wanted us to.

I plugged in my digital camera and uploaded all of the pictures from the races, because I knew he would love to see those. And also because I hoped they might soften the shock of what I had actually written. I'm sure my father would want to know more about the new guy I'd been seeing, who I vaguely mentioned, but the pictures would be a good distraction.

I flipped through them and selected the ones I would send to my dad. I stopped when I came across the shot that Jacob had popped into, at first unbeknownst to me. He had a huge grin on his face and I couldn't fight back the smile that played on my lips when I saw it. The picture almost looked as if it was planned; both of us fit perfectly in the frame.

Eventually I sent off the email to my dad with ten pictures attached, nine of them from the races, and one of me that Rosalie had taken on Saturday. A bit of homesickness crept over me and I brought up one of Charlie's past emails to reread.

It was short and he spoke about his fishing trips and the guys at the station who he was somewhat close to. Of course towards the end he urged me to visit him; that was the way almost all of his emails seemed to end. I swallowed the lump in my throat and found myself hastily pulling up the airline's website for tickets to Washington.

I booked a flight before I had the chance to over think it. I had enough saved to afford the trip and I knew my father would be thrilled. I called Rose to see if she could drive me to the airport.

"What? You're going to Washington? When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" she shouted.

"Yeah."

"Well, that's…great! Unexpected, for sure, but great!"

"I think it's the perfect time. I haven't been to visit my dad in so long, and I don't have to worry about taking off from work or anything. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, my mom's selling the condo. She and Phil bought a house by the beach today."

"They did? Oh my God. We didn't talk for twelve hours and I feel like I've missed a month! Get ready, I'll be over to pick you up in ten."

"Uh…pick me up?"

"Yes," Rose said and I could almost see her rolling her eyes. "You can't go on a trip without getting some new clothes!"

**A/N: Coming up: BELLA'S IN FORKS ! (Are we excited ?) **


	19. Love and Science

**I'm back! Sorry about the extra long gap between updates. I've been experiencing every author's nightmare- writer's block. Thanks to a song rec by LiveTrue and some great brainstorming with It's a Jacob Thing, we're back on track. This chapter is a bit longer than usual, and it's got a lemon - so forgive me for the delay.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the song this chapter was titled after. They belong to and The Script, respectively.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 19 _Love and Science  
You won't find faith or hope  
Down a telescope,  
You won't find heart and soul  
In the stars.  
You can break everything down  
Into chemicals,  
But you can't explain  
A love like ours._

I just remembered why I hate to fly. Of course I spent the entire plane take off thinking of the list of reasons I should have driven to Forks. It may have taken a few days, but I would've made it.

We were supposed to land in Seattle by early afternoon; then I'd hail a cab to Charlie's and hopefully be there by dinner time. I hadn't called my father yet because I wasn't sure if I wanted to call him when I got to Forks or just show up at the door.

Rosalie and I had shopped for nearly hours the night before, and my suitcases were full of mostly brand new clothes, with the tags on them. She convinced me that I needed to bring extra so I could stash some new, trendy stuff at my Dad's place. Rose had been excited for me. She was shocked that I had chosen to pick up and go to Forks on a whim, but she definitely was supportive.

My mother, on the other hand, wasn't convinced that it was a great idea. She didn't know about Jacob, because I didn't want to hear a lecture about why was I following a boy across the country? Because I wasn't – I was visiting my dad…who happened to live in the same state as the guy I liked. Big deal.

I told Renee to enjoy some time with Phil during the off-season and I promised to email as often as I could.

"Can I switch seats with you?" I was startled by a tap on my shoulder. I jumped out of my thoughts and looked around. The seat belt sign was unlit and most passengers were reading, sleeping, or watching something on the little screens in front of them. My screen showed a map of the whole country and pointed out where the plane was now. I tore my eyes away from it- I didn't particularly want to be reminded how high we were flying over land right now.

A middle-aged woman was holding out her seat number and pointed to three children in the aisle across from me. "I meant to do this before we were up in the air, but there was so much going on. I'm sorry to ask this of you. I'm sitting two rows behind yours, but somehow my kids ended up in a different row. Do you mind?"

"Um…well, no, of course…" I hoisted my carry-on bag over my shoulder and unbuckled the belt across my lap.

An expression of relief and gratitude washed over the woman's face and she looked like she was going to hug me. I smiled and searched for my new seat. When I reached the row, the only empty seat was by the window. I was disappointed; my original seat was an aisle seat, the perfect distance to avoid glancing out the window.

I figured I couldn't go back and tell the woman I needed to trade back my seat. I muttered apologies and climbed over the two gentlemen in the seats beside mine. Once I was seated, I set my bag down by my feet, closed the shade on the window, and clipped in the belt over my lap.

The man with the middle seat chuckled. "Don't like to fly?"

"What makes you say that?" I said sarcastically. Great, now I have the window seat and a row-mate who likes to chat. I took a breath and allowed myself a glance at the man. He had smooth, dark skin and choppy black hair with eyes that smiled. Some of my initial annoyance disappeared.

"Don't worry – if we go down, I'll make sure you're the first one I save."

"Well that's…comforting."

He held out his hand. "Tyler Crowley."

I smiled and shook his hand. "Bella." I turned my face away towards the window to hopefully endure the rest of the plane ride alone, but then I realized I had pulled the shade down and I was starting at the blank curve of the wall.

"Have you been on a plane before?" He asked.

"A few times," I responded.

"And you haven't gotten used to it yet? Man! I fly back and forth from Florida to Seattle all the time; I go to the university in Florida, but my parents insist I visit whenever I get a break. That equals a lot of plane rides."

"Uh huh…"

"Are you leaving home in Florida or are you headed back home to Seattle?"

Tyler seemed nice enough, definitely friendly. I started to feel guilty for acting so uninterested when clearly he was just making conversation. Besides, I didn't bring a book that I hadn't read three times already, and talking would provide a distraction from the actual flight.

"I'm visiting my Dad in Washington," I admitted.

The flight went by faster with Tyler sitting next to me and I found myself enjoying his company after a while. When he asked for my number when we were about to land though, I made something up about having a boyfriend. It was kind of ironic that it was so easy for me to turn him down with a made up story of being in a relationship, but when I was still dating Edward and Jacob had asked me out, it was hard for me to say I had a boyfriend – and I was telling the truth then!

I knew that the new perspective I had on life and on myself was to enjoy being single and meet new people. Talking to Tyler proved to me that the spark I had with Jacob wasn't just because he was attractive or exciting. Tyler was a great guy and from what I could tell from our conversation, we would have gotten along well. But there was no electricity, no spark. There was something about Jacob that I would be stupid to ignore.

I heard the TV blaring inside of my old home, and I pictured Charlie in his chair with a beer watching sports center. His TV dinner was probably on the coffee table in front of him, half of it still frozen in his haste to eat something as soon as he got home from work. I knew the house key was in the old, wilting potted plant on the porch, but I knocked on the door anyway.

Charlie yelled 'who is it', but I waited until I heard him grumble and get up to answer the door. He swung it open and stared at me for a moment.

"Bella?"

"Hi Dad!"

"Bells!" He gathered me into an awkward hug and picked up my bags to bring them in the house. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit," I announced.

"Yeah…well…I see that. You should've called. I would've…cleaned up." He gestured around the house – I knew he wouldn't have done anything different if he knew I was coming.

"Sorry. I wanted to surprise you! How have things been?" I asked.

"Uh…well, the same."

I laughed. It seemed like nothing ever changed in Forks. I remember thinking the same thing when I was a teenager and came to live with him while I finished high school. Every piece of furniture was in the same position, there were no new pictures hanging in frames on the walls.

"Well," I began, "I'm not sure if you got my email, but a lot has been going on with me."

Charlie sat down at the kitchen and pulled out a chair for me. "No, I haven't gotten the chance. What's up kiddo?"

I gave Charlie the abridged version of my life during the past few weeks. I told him about the break up with Edward, quitting my job, and seeing a new guy. He was overwhelmed into speechlessness, although I didn't know what I expected him to say anyway. He didn't ask any questions about the new guy, so I assumed he hadn't seen the picture in the drag magazine, or he just hadn't recognized me.

"Are you happy, Bells?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment with a smile on my face and nodded.

He slapped his hand on the table. "Then I'm happy too." He got up, grabbed another beer from the fridge, and started for the living room. Old habits are hard to break.

"I'm going to unpack," I said as I heaved my bags over my shoulder and up the stairs.

"How long are you staying?" Charlie called up the stairs.

"Don't know yet," I yelled back.

A wave of nostalgia washed over me when I opened my old bedroom door. It was always the same, whether I was visiting for the summer or going through my high school days. I unzipped my suitcase and leisurely hung everything up in my closet or slipped them into drawers.

Strangely, I felt like I was moving back in – and the thought didn't terrify me.

I swapped my plane ride clothes for sweatpants and a sweater. I'd have to readjust to the colder fall temperatures.

The fridge was empty when I ran downstairs to see what I could grab for dinner. There was a half empty case of beer, doggie bags full of leftovers from the diner, and frozen dinners. In the pantry was some cereal, a box of pop-tarts, canned soup, and peanut butter.

It was evident I had some shopping to do; god only knows when Charlie last had a warm, home-cooked meal. I began to jot some things down on a pad of paper that I wanted to pick up at the grocery store.

"Dad!" I called out. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

He cleared his throat and then answered. "Yeah. I heated something up. Why? Are you hungry?"

We ended up at the diner in town that I'm sure survived on Charlie's daily appearances; it was his go-to spot. Charlie ordered some dessert while I devoured a greasy burger.

"So who is this new guy you said you're seeing? I didn't hear much about him," Charlie said while forking his cheesecake.

"Uh…well, we met about a month ago. He actually lives here but he was staying in Florida for a bit. His name is Jacob." I opted for vague since I knew my dad would recognize the name Jacob Black immediately.

"Do I get to meet him?"

"Sure. Uhh…maybe tomorrow or something."

"Good. So what made you finally give that Edward character the boot?" He laughed.

"Dad!" I scolded.

Charlie sighed. "Sorry, Bells. I just never did like that kid…"

"I know."

"So what does this new kid do?"

"Well..he's...he owns a business."

I watched as Charlie's eyebrows scrunched together. "What kind of business?"

"Mechanic. He's a mechanic. And a driver."

"A driver for what?"

"Well, you know…Clearwater and Black?"

Charlie pushed his plate away and his eyes got huge. "You're dating Jacob Black? The drag racer?"

"That's the one."

"Oh my…oh wow…Bella…"

"His father Billy mentioned that you two knew each other," I started.

"I haven't seen that old man in years!" Charlie laughed. "What are they up to?" He continued to ask me question after question until I insisted I was jet-lagged and exhausted. I promised that I would introduce him to Jacob soon.

Jacob called me the same time he had the night before.

"Hello?" I answered while I turned on my side and pulled the covers up to my shoulder.

"Hey, Bells," he said softly.

"Hi."

"What are you up to?"

"Oh, nothing really. How was your day?"

"Pretty good. The crew and I spent the day catching up on work in the garage. We always have tons of jobs piled up when we come back from races.

"I can imagine," I said while stifling a yawn.

"I'm sorry, did I call too late again? It's around eight thirty here…so it must be…oh, damn, it's close to midnight."

"No, no, you're fine," I assured him, "it's actually around eight thirty where I am, too." I held back laughter while I heard Jacob pause. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"Wait a minute…where are you?"

"In Forks," I answered nonchalantly.

"Forks? You're in Forks? Since when? Oh man, give me the address of where you're at and I'll come get you. This is so great! Where are you staying? How did you get here? You have no idea how excited I am," he blurted.

"Jake, relax!" I giggled. "I landed this afternoon in Seattle, but I'm at my Dad's house in Forks right now."

"Tell me how to get there."

"You can't come over now! I'm already in bed."

"Hey, that's perfectly fine. I'll join you."

"Jacob!" I squealed over his loud chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"Fine. How about tomorrow? I'll be over first thing to see you." I was thrilled at the prospect of seeing Jacob again so soon, and flattered he seemed so excited to see me.

"Does around noon sound okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's perfect." I rattled off the address and told Jake where to find the house.

We talked for a while more before I honestly couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I looked up at the clock to see that two hours had flown by. "Go to bed," I teased playfully. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"How am I supposed to sleep knowing that you are only a few miles away?"

"Charming," I laughed. "Goodnight, Jacob."

Friday morning I woke up early and put on one of my jogging suits after a shower. I let my hair air dry into its natural waves and met Charlie downstairs for breakfast. He was happy to hear that Jacob would be coming over later, and would make arrangements to take his lunch hour at home.

I rushed out the door to get grocery shopping done with the few hours I would have the house to myself. I stocked up the refrigerator, the freezer, and both pantries when I was done. I unwrapped the new household cleaners and got to work on the kitchen and bathrooms, which I'm sure hadn't had a thorough cleaning in years.

It was close to noon when I finished, and Charlie was walking in the door.

"Oh, crap! I didn't see the time; I was going to make us something for lunch," I complained.

"It's alright, Bella. It looks like you were busy. Do you want me to stop at the diner and pick something up?"

"No, no." I gathered up the rags I was using and pushed the bottles of cleaner underneath the kitchen sink. "I bought cold cuts and fillings for sandwiches. Let me just change quickly and I'll pull those out."

I dashed up the stairs, dropped the dirty rags by the washing machine, and put on one of my new outfits. I fluffed up my hair with my hand quickly and almost fell going down the stairs again. The spread on the table was tolerable, and I was pleased with the selection once I was done. I bought turkey, salami, ham, American cheese, Swiss cheese, fresh rolls and potato salad.

Charlie padded over and started making himself a plate when Jacob knocked on the door at exactly twelve pm. I bit my lip and ran to the door to swing it widely open. Jacob was beaming at me from outside and my breath caught. He was wearing a simple white tee-shirt and faded, worn, light blue jeans with brown sandals. The shirt contrasted with his naturally tanned skin beautifully, and it made his defined arms stand out even more. His hair was shaggy and pushed up in the front; his smile was swoon-worthy.

"Bella!" He shouted. He wrapped his thick arms around my middle and effortlessly lifted me into the air. He spun me around on the porch until Charlie cleared his throat obviously in the background. He set me down next to him and I led him inside.

"Dad, this is Jacob. Jacob, this is my Dad Charlie." I stepped to the side so that they could shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Jacob said. It was cute seeing him try to make a good impression for my dad. I was mostly used to seeing him around his friends, who he was already so comfortable with. I looked back and forth between Jake and my dad to determine what each was thinking.

Charlie nodded and gave Jacob a tight hand shake, but didn't speak. He was just staring at Jacob and I found it kind of humorous to see Charlie star struck. When he finally shook himself out of his stupor, Charlie managed to embarrass himself some more. "It's, uh, nice to meet you, too son…you're…um…well, you're doing pretty good with those cars, huh."

"Oh, are you a fan of NHRA?" Jacob asked politely.

"A fan? Oh yes, I've been a fan for years. Especially of your team. You guys are setting some damn good records for that quarter-mile. That stunt in Carolina was my favorite."

Jacob responded with equal enthusiasm and soon he was chatting with my Dad about mechanics and statistics and business and races. I was pretty sure Charlie was thrilled at the free tickets Jake promised him. That may have won him over – I bet if Jacob asked for Charlie's permission to marry me right now, he'd be pushing us down the aisle.

I got both the men plates full of food and sat down to nibble of some of my own. I watched their exchange and conversation with a smile on my face and didn't interrupt. I was happy to see that they got along, and that Charlie made no reaches towards his pistol. He had never been so interested in a conversation like this with Edward, and they had been together on many occasions.

I could see how easily Jacob could slip into our lives and fit in without a ripple. He was easy-going and laid-back and Charlie was rooting for him already. They talked about races, and fishing, and sports until we were all done eating. Jacob glanced at me every few minutes and would reach over a hand to brush against mine, or leave me drooling with the intense, passionate eye contact. I was already wet with anticipation of having alone time.

I got up to distract myself and cleared the dishes from the table, humming while I wrapped up the leftover lunch meat and popped it into the fridge. Charlie was disappointed when one o'clock came around and he had to get in the cruiser and punch in again for work.

"Jacob, it was a pleasure meeting you," he said as he shook Jacob's hand before he left. "You seem like a fine young boy. Please tell Billy I would love to catch up with him after all these years."

"Definitely. I'm sure he will be inviting you over as soon as he finds out."

In the same second that Charlie was out the door Jacob's lips were on mine. He pushed me up against the counter I was leaning on and kissed me hard. His fingers gripped my waist and he pulled my bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it, making me whimper. He forced my mouth open and fought my tongue with his own. When he moved away for air, he only took a moment before his lips were back on my skin – at my jaw, at my neck, by my ear. I was breathing heavy just from his kisses.

"I missed you so much," he mumbled against my neck. The hot breath of his words hit my neck.

"I missed you, too," I admitted. His hands traveled under my shirt and the contact made me shiver.

"Bedroom?" He asked.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach – I hadn't expected this, although I was excited at the idea. I nodded and led Jacob upstairs. He followed close behind me and kept his hands somewhere on me the whole way. I pushed the door open and Jacob looked around my childhood bedroom.

"Cute," he determined. I laughed and would have said more, but Jacob crawled onto my bed on his knees and pulled me down with him. He lifted one leg over me so he was straddling my small body underneath his. His eyes were dark and his gaze was penetrating.

He simply stared at me, as if he was memorizing me face, and I made the first move. I ran my hands from his collarbones to the edge of his pants and back up, once over his shirt and then on the rippling muscles underneath. Jake's eyes closed with my actions, and he only lasted one more path of my hands before he ripped the shirt off over his head.

He reached for his jeans and I heard the pop of the snap coming undone. I kissed his mouth and felt his hands pushing his pants down his legs. He was in only his boxers and I suddenly felt much too conservative and covered up.

Jacob rested his forehead against mine and his breathing was rough. "I haven't stopped thinking about what it felt like to be inside you," he said. His words made me crave him even more and I hurried to relieve some of that ache.

I pushed down my jeans with both hands and Jacob unbuttoned each of the buttons on my shirt defiantly slow. "Sure, now that you know you're gonna get what you want you have time to go slow," I teased.

Jacob chuckled and pulled at the shirt so the bottom buttons came undone quickly. He leaned in close to my mouth and I could feel the tips of his lips moving as he spoke. "I promise you…I'm not going to take my time with you right now. I'm gonna fuck you…hard and fast."

I moaned and my head fell back. "Please…"

"Please what?" Jacob asked. He pushed my shirt down so I could slip my arms around and I was glad Rosalie had insisted I buy some new lingerie. I hope Jacob appreciated the black and pink bra and thong set.

"Please…" I repeated. "I want you…"

"Oh, baby," he breathed out. Clearly, my words were having an effect on him as well. "Do you have condoms?"

My eyes jumped open and I thought about where my stash was. _Crap, it's in my drawer in my room at the condo in Jacksonville._ "I don't…" I started.

"Damnit."

"I'm on the pill," I blurted out. Jacob searched my eyes.

"You are? So we…can we…do you want…"

"I want to," I told him. I honestly think I would've exploded if we had to stop right there. "I'm clean," I added quietly.

Jacob paused and then nodded in understanding. "I'm…me too." He pressed his lips to mine, once twice, then slowly at first until we were wound up to the same point of before. The rest of our offending clothes were pulled off and he entered me.

I cried out at the contact and Jacob moaned. It was amazing how different he felt filling me up without a barrier between us. He pulled out to the tip and slammed back into me. I shifted up on the bed a little before getting my bearing. My hips thrust up at the same time Jacob pushed inside me. He wrapped my legs around his body while he pounded me.

"God, I love your pussy…" he breathed. "I want you to come all over my cock," he demanded.

I grunted and moaned louder and louder as his thrusts became harder and faster, leading me to that tightening feeling in the pit of my stomach and I knew I was close.

Jacob grunted out that he was close just before my body went over the edge. My eyes squeezed shut and my legs tightened around him as my climax washed over me from head to toe. My hands gripped his hair securely and I held onto him as my body shook. In the midst of my haze, Jacob groaned and his cock twitched before he spilled his seed into me.

We were still until our breathing stabilized close to normal. Jacob rolled over and we were squeezed side by side on my small bed.

"Did you know this was going to happen when you came over here?" I laughed.

Jacob looked at me shyly. "I may have imagined a few different ways the day could end up going."

"What are those few different ways?" I continued.

"Well…" Jacob shifted so that his weight was on his elbow and he was looking down at me from his side. "I'd come over here, charm your father, and then spend some time…catching up with you and after you'd come back to my place with me. The crew would love to see you, Bella. We'd meet them back at my house, and then you can join us for a bonfire on the beach."

I snuggled into his warm chest. "Mmm…that sounds perfect."

"How long are you in Forks?" He asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm in no rush to go home though."

Jake smiled and kissed me sweetly before standing up and picking up his clothes. He tugged his jeans up his legs, stuffed his boxers in his shorts, slipped on his sandals, and threw his tee shirt swiftly over his shoulder. _Commando and shirtless,_ I admired.

"Let me get dressed and we can go," I told Jacob. He nodded and lay back on my bed with his arms folded behind his head. I rolled my eyes and went to my closet to get dressed. I threw on a purple tunic with laced sleeves that ended on my thighs, and paired it with black suede peep toe ankle boots. I was done within a few minutes, but Jacob was still on my bed, resting peacefully with his eyes closed.

I tip-toed to the bed and placed a kiss on his lips. He moaned into my mouth and reached up to pull me down to him. I extricated myself from his grasp in a fit of laughter. "Come on; we have to go or we will never get there."

Jacob shrugged. "I don't mind staying here and doing that for the rest of the day."

"I'm sure you don't." I left a note for my dad downstairs on the counter just so he wouldn't worry, and we headed to Jacob's car.

"Whoa."

Jacob laughed at my reaction and opened the doors of the grey super car sitting in the driveway. I bet Charlie had a field day when he saw this.

"Do you like it? It's a Lexus LF-A. There's only 500 of them in the world." The car was sleek and compact with only two seats, and an open top. "I don't really drive it much, but when the weather is nice I like to ride with the top down."

"It's beautiful," I said.

"Thanks." We hopped in and Jacob took off for the roads that would lead us to La Push. High school trips to First Beach came flooding back to my mind in memories – most of them were without Edward, he hated the beach by the reservation.

Jacob wasn't thrown by the winding roads hidden between the lush, green vegetation. The wheel was comfortable in his hands and he maneuvered the car without effort, like he'd driven these roads a hundred times. He held one of my hands in his over the gearshift, but we stayed quiet as I admired the scenery and realized how much I truly had missed Forks.

The house we pulled up to was small, red, and beat up. There was an old, small garage to the side of it, but they weren't connected. Cars were parked in front of the house on the dirt road, and I recognized a few of them from Jacksonville. I was surprised with all the money the team had to spend on fancy cars that they didn't rebuild the house, or just buy a new one.

"Not what you were expecting?" Jake asked me. I tried to wipe the expression off my face so he wouldn't get the wrong impression.

"Well, no, but…"

"It's alright. I tell me dad all the time we need to fix up the old shack. But he's lived here since he and my mom first got married, and he insists that everything is just fine the way it is. Everyone on the reservation lives like this; he doesn't want money to change him. It'll get done eventually, though – our team has donated money to rebuild the school, and the courthouse, and the only library in town. Soon we will get to the houses."

Jacob led me inside where his living room was packed with people. Sam was sprawled on a beige loveseat where Leah was perched on the back of it with her legs dangling on him. Paul was standing in the doorway next to Jared. Quil, Embry and Seth were sitting by a coffee table watching the small screened television. Colin and Brady were scattered across the couches as well.

"Bella!" Jared hopped up when he saw me and rushed to us. He enveloped me in a strong bear hug. "I knew you couldn't stay away from us."

"Bella's here?"

"Damn, Jake. Did you get some action already?"

"What? Did she follow us to Washington?"

Quil stood up, pink hair and all, and hugged me the same way Jared had. There was definitely some kind of growth hormone in these La Push waters. "Are you stalking us?" He teased.

"I came to make sure your hair was still pink," I retorted.

He ran his fingers through his hair with a frown. "Only two and a half weeks left," he muttered. "My daughter loves it by the way. She had a laughing fit for fifteen minutes when she saw me."

I fingered the pink stripe in my hair in remembrance. "I'm glad she likes it."

The front door swung open again and we stepped out of the way to make room. Billy wheeled himself in, along with an older woman with straight black hair. She had a striking resemblance to Leah, and I assumed this was her mother, Sue. A little girl pushed her way through the doorway and made a b-line into Quil. "Daddy, Daddy!" She squealed. Her shiny black hair, an obvious trait from Quil, was in two dark braids that fell in front of her shoulders. She had a round face with sparkling blue eyes and pouty lips. Her skin was a shade lighter than Quil's, but even then it was evident she was his daughter.

I watched him lift her up and hug her small body to his chest with a smile on my face. This was a different side of Quil. "Claire-bear!" He shouted. "I missed you baby."

"I missed you too. Guess what Aunt Rachel bought me. Guess, guess!"

"I will sweetie, but don't be rude." Quil set her down on her feet and she quickly ran to each of the guys in the room and hugged them hello.

She came to Jake last and he swept her up in his arms. "Hey Claire, I want you to meet someone." He turned his body so she was facing me. I smiled warmly at her. "This is Bella. Bella, this is Claire, Quil's daughter."

"Hi Claire."

She held out her small hand and waved at me. "Hi Miss Bella," she said in the cutest voice. "You are very pretty."

"Aw, thank you."

Quil came over and took Claire from Jacob. "Miss Bella is the girl who made Daddy's hair pink," he told her.

She giggled. "Pretty _and_ funny," she amended.

"Hey!" Quil shouted while everyone laughed. "You're supposed to be on my side," he said while he tickled Claire and she squirmed in his arms.

I said hello to Billy and introduced myself to Sue. A stunning native american girl with long, straight hair and prominent features walked through the door toting multiple shopping bags. She was thin, tall, and leggy. I wondered if Jacob had any friends who _couldn't_be supermodels.

"Quil, there's more bags in the car. Can you get them?" She asked.

"Rach, I told you not to spoil her."

The girl shrugged. "I can't help it." I noticed Paul discreetly walk over and take the bags out of the woman's hands. Jacob shot him a suspicious glare.

"Rach, this is Bella, my girlfriend." Jacob led me over to the girl who beamed brightly at me. I held my hand out but she ignored it and pulled me into a hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad my baby brother finally found someone who stuck around after the first date," she said

"Shut up, Rach," he laughed.

She released me and I bit my lip to hide my huge, dorky smile. "Girlfriend?" I mouthed to Jake.

"What did you think…" he started.

"No, that's good – I…it's great."

**Yaaaay :) What do we think of Bella back in Forks? Was Charlie too accepting of Jacob? Are we happy that Bella finally got some clarity on the status of her relationship with Jacob ! Drop me a review and let me know what you think!**

**Coming up: A bonfire at the beach, a day in the garage, and another bet ! Any guesses?**


	20. Just Can't Get Enough

**Hello all! Hope you're all ready for the next chapter :) Thanks for the reviews, I love each and every one and I try to respond as often as I can. It's A Jacob Thing has been a huge HUGE invaluable help to me, and some of the ideas in this chapter were from her. I also must give credit to LiveTrue since she's been such an awesome friend and support.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight or it's characters. And I don't own the Black Eyed Peas or their song.  
PS- JBTL101 recc'd this song a while ago, and I'm finally getting to use it!**Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 20 _Just Can't Get Enough  
Oh baby, I can't come down  
So please come help me out.  
You got me feeling high  
and I can't step off the cloud.  
And I just can't get enough.  
Boy I think about it every night and day,  
I'm addicted,  
Wanna jump inside your love__.  
I wouldn't want to have it  
Any other way,  
I'm addicted and  
I just can't get enough._

"What?" Jacob asked innocently as I looked on with my jaw open. He had just finished _another_ hamburger.

"I've never seen someone eat so much in less than an hour. It's not humane."

Jake shrugged with a smile on his face. "It really wasn't that much."

"Three hot dogs, two hamburgers…not to mention the potato salad that you piled on your plate, and the-"

"I told you, sweetie," Sue chuckled as she walked by at patted the top of my head.

"Are you sure we're gonna need all this food? It seems like it's a lot," I had asked Sue earlier this evening, when we were preparing some food at her house and carrying it to the beach.

"Just wait. There won't be any leftovers to carry back."

"Well, I mean, I expected you to eat a lot…but that's a serious talent." The crew laughed at my expression of shock. Another thing these boys had in common was that they could clear out a kitchen in no time. I wondered what their grocery bill was.

Sam kept track of the fire, and Sue made sure everyone had at least two servings of every dish. I had noticed a few more things about the pack dynamic. Sue was like the den mother. She fed everyone, and looked after everyone, and made sure the boys were kept in line. Sue was what I sometimes used to wish my mother would be like.

Billy was laid-back and easy-going, but I could see that he could be strict if he needed to be. All of the boys were respectful of him, and he seemed like he would be full of good, wise advice and wisdom. I knew Jacob was very close with his father just by the way he acted around him.

Sam was the most stoic of the group, although he did have a sense of humor. Paul was quiet, but not always the good quiet; sometimes his silence make me wonder what was going on inside his head. I watched him be very attentive to Rachel the whole day, and I also saw that Jacob wasn't exactly appreciative. Rachel seemed sweet, funny, and she was also very charismatic. She talked to everyone and with her outgoing personality, I felt like I knew her already.

Jared was witty and sarcastic, and probably the most crude. Embry, Quil, and Jacob were tight friends, and they all reflected a little of each other's personalities. It was also sweet to see how Quil acted around his daughter. He was nothing like the guy I met in Florida. His whole world was his daughter.

Seth, Colin, and Brady were the youngest. Seth was the comedian in the group. Whenever a squabble was looming on the horizon, he was the peacemaker. Colin and Brady were the quiet troublemakers- that I knew for sure.

"Aunt Leah?" A little voice said. Claire stumbled through the sand to get to Leah.

"Yes baby?" Leah was sweet as pie when it came to Claire. It seemed that the whole crew had soft spots for her, and I could understand why. For the mostly testosterone-driven crew, Claire was the complete opposite. She was girly and adorable and could get any of the guys to grab the moon for her.

"Do you want more food?" Jacob asked, cutting off my stream of thought. He gestured to my mostly empty plate.

"No, no, I'm done. Thanks." I handed him my plate and he tossed it in the garbage bag with the rest. "This is really fun," I told him. "Do you all do this often?"

The beach was beautiful and secluded, with small lapping waves on the sand. The fire blazed brilliantly in the night and provided warmth for all of us. I admired the closeness of the pack.

"We try to," Jacob answered. "This one might be the last for the year, unfortunately." He sat down next to me and I leaned on his shoulder.

"So what's up with you and Paul? You look like you've been trying to burn him with laser vision or something,"

Jacob snorted. "Laser vision?"

"You know what I mean."

"I guess. " Beat. "I think he's after my sister."

"Really? Aw," I cooed. Jacob pulled away from me and narrowed his eyes.

"There is nothing cute about that."

"Oh, stop." I slapped him on the arm playfully. "How many years are you guys apart?"

"Four."

"So she's supposed to be protective of you. And, you know, dress you up in girl's clothes and put make up on you when you're little," I teased.

"I have those pictures!" Embry shouted from across the fire.

"Oh my God! I _have_ to see them!"

"They're hilarious, Bella," Rachel chimed in and moved closer. "We did a good job, too. You wouldn't even know he-"

"How the fuck did you end up with those pictures?" Jake growled at Embry.

"I'm saving them for some awesome blackmail," he laughed in response.

"You know Becca had a crush on him back in the day. She probably forked them over for some brownie points," Rachel added.

"I need to keep my sisters away from the crew," Jake mumbled much to everyone else's amusement.

"Too bad they weren't triplets," Quil piped up.

Rachel sputtered beer from her mouth from laughing at the same time as drinking, and Paul jumped away from her so he wouldn't get covered with it.

"Go to hell, Quil."

A little gasp made us all go silent. Claire marched herself over to Jake with a stern frown on her face.

"Oh, crap," Jake mumbled before he swept Claire into his arms. She tried to protest but he ignored it. "I'm sorry, baby, I was just kidding." Claire huffed and stared and Jacob for a second longer before she accepted his apology and hopped off his lap.

Quil was coughing to cover his laugh and Jacob shot him a dirty look. "Later," he said with warning in his voice.

"Whatever, bro. Embry's got girly pictures of you and I have Claire."

"You're gonna hide behind your four year-old?"

"Damn straight."

"Oh my God!" Rachel squealed. "I have the best idea. We should play truth or dare." A few of the guys groaned. "Oh, come on. Remember all the times we'd sneak away from our parents at the bonfires and play truth or dare when we were kids?"

"Exactly. We were kids," Sam said. "We're a little too old for that now, aren't we?"

Rachel pouted and rested her elbows on her knees.

"I'll play," I said

Rachel beamed at me. "See? At least someone knows how to have fun. Okay, who else?" She grabbed Paul's shirt. "You too."

"Alright, let's do this." Jared handed out beers as we formed a sloppy circle beside the fire. Quil convinced Claire to ask Billy to tell her a campfire story; she scampered over to Billy and climbed into his lap – out of eavesdropping distance. Sue was with them also.

"I'll go first," Rachel announced. She surveyed the crowd with squinted eyes and then her focused glare landed on me. _Shit._ I took a few gulps of the beer in my hand. "Bella – truth or dare?"

I felt my face flush with everyone's attention on me. "Uhh..truth?"

"Boooooo."

"Shut up Quil. It's my turn; when it's your turn you can pick dare to try and prove that you're tough and manly."

"Damn," Jake laughed.

"Okay, I'll give you an easy one," Rachel went on. "First kiss- when, where, who?" I snuck a glance at Jacob to gage his reaction. If he was my boyfriend now, would it be weird to talk about kissing someone else while I was sitting right next to him? Technically, it was just a game of truth or dare. I thought about making something up, but the real truth would just have to do.

"Umm…seventeen, my high school boyfriend, in a forest," I said quickly. There. It wasn't so hard.

"A forest?" Paul bellowed. "Kinky."

My face heated even more. "No! Not a forest…it was more like a meadow."

"A meadow? How romantic," Leah sneered. I downed another ounce of alcohol and started the next round.

"Paul-truth or dare?"

"Dare," he said flatly. I had a feeling none of these guys would pick truth.

"Switch shirts with Rachel." I hoped Rachel didn't mind me including her in the dare. She didn't seem to be upset; she whipped her shirt up over her head and handed it to Paul.

"Let's go, big guy." Paul lifted his shirt over his head and helped Rachel slip into it. It was two sizes too big for her, but she wrapped herself in the black tee shirt. Paul grunted as he struggled to get his head through the top hole in Rachel's shirt. Once that was through, the shirt bunched around his neck like a scarf, and it left his dark, rippled chest bare. Rachel winked at me- I had done her a favor with that one.

Paul attempted to get his arms in the sleeves but the shirt was too small. "Don't rip it!" Rachel commanded. He shrugged and left it bunched around his throat.

"That shirt makes you look fat, Paul." Jared poked at the garment with his fingers; Paul pushed him away.

"Alright, Jared – truth or dare?"

"Dare. Bring it on, brother."

Paul smirked and gestured for Colin to hand him the bag of marshmallows that were supposed to be used for roasting. He plopped one on the end of the stick and stuck it deep in the fire. "I dare you to eat this marshmallow."

"Psshh. That's all you got? Fine, easy." I watched the white puff turn black and charcoal-like while I lifted the beer bottle to my lips.

"Continue while you wait for this to finish," Paul instructed Jared. "We could be a while."

Jared's gaze landed on me and I took a sip of my beer to avoid eye contact. A sly smile spread on his face and he turned to Brady. "Brady. Truth or dare, my friend."

He returned Jared's gaze nervously. "Uh, dare?"

"Treat Miss Bella to a lap dance for a full minute."

My jaw dropped and Leah fell off her chair in laughter. "Truth, I pick truth!" Brady yelled.

"Too late to change your mind now. Just show Bella all those moves that you told me you wanted t-" Brady shot up out of his seat and ran over to me.

"Okay, okay!" He yelled over Jared. "Just shut up, man."

Jacob frowned. "I swear to god, Brady, if your hands start wandering you'll be spending the weekend in the hospital."

I chugged the rest of my beer and set the empty bottle beside me. "Is someone timing this?" I asked. Colin volunteered to tell us when a minute was up. "Starting…now!"

Brady laughed nervously. "Sorry Bella."

I squeezed my eyes shut when he started to gyrate above me. The seconds dragged on and I felt him shifting around above me. I opened my eyes and couldn't help the rush of awkward laughter that started. The guys around us were cheering and whistling, which the exception of Jacob, and I started to play along. Brady dropped to his knees in front of me. _Oh my god, his head is right at –_

"Time's up." Jacob reached out with one hand and grabbed the collar of Brady's shirt. With one hard jerk, Brady was on his back in the sand.

"He still had thirty-eight seconds!" Colin retorted.

"No he didn't." Jacob pulled me onto his lap and wrapped both of his hands around my middle. Leah stopped her hyena cackling and was quiet again.

"Good timing," Paul said. "Here's your marshmallow." He pulled the black, extremely burnt marshmallow off the skewer – the ends of it were still sticky. He held it out to Jared but at the last minute it fell out of his grasp and into the sand. "Oops," he sneered sarcastically. When he went to pick it up, he smashed it into the sand a little more and moved it around until it was coated in a fine layer of the sand. Then, he held it out to Jared again. "Bon appétit."

"I'm not eating that! It's covered in sand!"

"So you're gonna back out on the dare?" Paul asked with his voice even.

Jared looked back and forth between the guys and then growled loudly. "Ugh. Fuck. Give me the thing." He ripped it out of Paul's hands and took a huge bite. His eyes widened and he coughed on it, but managed to eat the whole thing.

"That is disgusting," Rachel gagged.

"You guys are like wild dogs," Leah commented.

"Rach- truth or dare?" Brady asked. She chose truth; it took only a few seconds for Brady to think of something. "Have you ever kissed a girl?" Most of the guys got quiet to listen to her answer. Jake's head fell into the middle of my back and he groaned. "I need new friends," I heard him say.

Rachel waved off her hand as if in dismissal of the question. "Yeah. College." I think Paul's jaw dropped. "Leah?"

"Dare," Leah picked.

"Of course. I dare you to…sit on Sam's lap until the end of the game." Leah huffed, but she shifted herself over and onto Sam's lap. They almost mirrored my and Jacob's position. Neither one of them looked uncomfortable, which sort of surprised me. Where they a couple?

"Embry," she started.

"Dare," he answered quickly.

"I dare you…to let Claire paint you fingers _and_ your toes pink. You can't take it off until it starts chipping." She smiled smugly at Embry's expression. "Or until we have a race."

"My nails? Pink. Leah…"

"That's my dare, Em."

"Damnit. Fine. Quil's got pink hair and I'm gonna have pink nails. What the fuck is happening in the world?"

"Don't hide it, man. I know you've been waiting for a while to rock the pink ever since you saw me with it," Quil instigated.

"Really? Quil- truth or dare."

"Come on dude, of course I pick dare."

"Good. Put on a blindfold, spin around ten times, and make out with the first person you bump into."

"What? What if it's a guy?"

"Don't hide it, man," Embry said, mocking Quil from seconds earlier. "I know you've been waiting a while to-"

"Who has a blindfold?" Quil muttered. He took off his shirt and molded it to wrap around his head and cover his eyes. He started to spin. "One of you girls better be close by when I stop."

Embry gestured for all of us to move away from him. We quietly crept backwards and watched Quil start veering to the right as he spun. Dizzily, he stopped spinning and started to walk in the direction of Billy and Sue – diagonally.

With his hands out in front of him, the first thing he felt was Billy's head. He felt around a few times and we watched from a distance as Billy frantically swatted him away. "What in the hell are you doing, boy?" He shouted. "Get off me!" I laughed so hard, I cried.

Quil ran over to the group and started threatening everyone, but we were laughing so hard and he only made us laugh harder. Quil opened his mouth to respond but a shrill wailing caught him off guard. "But I don't wannnnnnna go to sleep!" Claire whined. "I wanna stay here with Daddy and my friends!"

"Claire…" we heard Billy warn. Quil's attitude did a one-eighty and he turned in the other direction to see his daughter running at him as fast as she could manage.

"Daddy, tell grampa that I'm a big girl and I can stay awake. I'm four now."

"You are four Claire-bear, but I think grandpa is right. It's bedtime."

"Not yet!" She cried.

"Come on, baby, little girls need their sleep."

"I'll sleep later!" Quil gave us a small smile and pulled Claire up into his arms. "No!" She objected.

"See you guys tomorrow." The group said goodbye to Quil as he walked with Claire towards the cars. We could hear Claire protesting until they were in the car and driving away.

Quil happened to be the catalyst for everyone else to get up and start packing up their things. Sue and Billy had already left right behind them.

I helped Rachel and Seth lug the garbage bags up the beach to put them in the pile with others while Embry and Sam put out the fire. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Leah had caught Jacob's ear. I pretended to fiddle with tying the bag in a knot while I watched.

"All bark, no bite," Rachel said as she passed me. I'd like to think that she was talking about Leah but I never got to ask. "Don't tell Jake I went home with Paul, okay? Just tell him I stayed at Sue and Harry's." I didn't have time to respond before she dashed into a gray Camaro with tinted windows and I couldn't see her anymore. Paul got in the other side and they drove away.

Jared and Embry hugged me goodbye, and I got nods from the rest of the guys. Jake's hand was on my arm a few moments later. "Hey," he said softly. "You ready?"

"Yeah." The drive back to Jacob's was quiet; we rolled down the windows and listened to the sounds of the night. I didn't realize how sleepy I had become. He pulled into the driveway and I heard the dirt crunch under the tires.

"Oh, I'm so stupid," Jake said suddenly before he turned the car off. "Do you want me to drive you home? I just figured…I mean, you can stay here if you'd like."

"Yeah, it's okay." I followed Jacob into the house and he led me through it. I'd originally only seen the living room- the first one you walk into. The kitchen was to the right of it and on the other wall was a closed door. We walked down a short hallway that led to two small bedrooms and a tiny bathroom.

"It's kind of messy," Jacob admitted with a slight blush on his face. He kicked clothes from the floor under the bed and picked up a few things. His bed was pushed against one wall with a window right above it. There was one pillow and a single gray blanket in a heap at the foot of the bed.

"Can I borrow something to sleep in?" I asked. I wished I had had the foresight to think of bringing an overnight bag.

Jacob rummaged around in his dresser for a few seconds before pulling out a sleeveless undershirt and a pair of black shorts. He held them out to me. "This okay?"

"Perfect."

"Bathroom's across the hall if you need it."

I changed out of my dress in the bathroom and slipped on Jacob's clothes. My feet throbbed when I took my shoes off and I stretched them out for a minute. I didn't have anything to take off my makeup; I knew it would be smudged in the morning. My hair would have to stay as it was as well.

I padded back to Jacob's room and left my clothes and shoes on top of his dresser. Jake was lying on his bed in only his boxers. I wasn't sure how exactly we were both supposed to fit in his bed – just Jacob's body sprawled out on it took up the entire space.

"C'mere," he said quietly. I walked over and crawled on top of him. His hands stroked my face softly and pushed my hair behind my shoulders. "I'm glad you're in Forks."

I hummed in agreement. "Yeah?"

"Of course. It's kind of hard to do this over the phone," he added. He punctuated his statement by tilting his head up for a kiss. I physically felt my body relax and I rested more of my weight on Jacob.

"And this…" He moved away from my mouth to speak and then rested his lips against my collarbone while his hands traveled underneath the shirt he had given me. His warm hand cupped my breast and my head fell forward at the sensation.

Eventually my body craved more of his touch and my hips jerked into his. I could feel his erection confined within his boxers; I traced a hand along the length experimentally. Jake's heavy eyes flitted closed and his breath came slowly.

Clothes were pushed aside and we came together slowly. With my arms braced against Jacob's broad shoulders, I brought myself down on his length and we both groaned out wordless cries. I lifted up and back down delicately, testing the action.

"Bella," Jake growled after a few more times of this. He held my hips in his hands and pushed down to force me to move harder and faster above him. I gasped at the sensation of feeling him so deep inside of me.

No words were said and the only sounds were breathless moans and the sound of our bodies coming together. Jacob snaked a hand to my center and circled my clit, which made my whole body shake. My fingers pressed harder into his chest.

I screamed out his name when my climax hit me and took over my body. Through a fuzzy consciousness I felt Jake tense and pull me to him hard twice more before grunting and spilling his seed in me.

I held on to Jacob's shoulders until my breath stopped coming in pants. He rolled on his side and I snuggled into his chest. The blanket was at our feet but I was so warm that I didn't make any move to pull it to my shoulder like I usually did.

My earlier thoughts of how we would fit in this bed were resolved when I mentally took in our position. Jacob was lying on his side in the middle of the bed, and my body was halfway covering his. His arm was around my waist, my head was tucked into his chest, and one of my legs was tangled between his.

Strangely, although we were both hot and sweaty in our post-coital bliss, I didn't feel confined or claustrophobic like I thought I would. I'd never slept in an intimate position like this before. Edward always preferred his side of the bed, and I'd agreed that things were more comfortable that way. But after falling asleep and waking up tangled in the sheets with Jacob's warm body, I couldn't imagine how I'd slept any other way.

I also couldn't imagine how Jacob slept through me climbing over him and falling onto the floor hard in the process. I searched for the clock in his room after I noticed the bright sunshine peeking in through the small window.

I found an alarm clock on the small bedside table underneath a pair of boxers. They looked like the ones I had ripped off Jacob last night; I shoved them to the side and saw the numbers 10:37 in neon green. It was a little late to be sleeping in, but then again it was Saturday.

Jacob was softly snoring and I watched the rise and fall of his chest a few times to be sure he was still asleep. I found my cell phone and dialed Rose.

"Hello?" I was taken aback for a minute by the gruff voice that answered the phone. I checked to make sure I had called the right number and then tentatively put the phone back to my ear.

"Uh..hello? Is Rosalie there?"

"Who's this?"

"It's Bella."

"Oh, Bella!" Before I could place the voice, I heard Rosalie in the background. "I told you not to answer my phone! Give it to me. Emmett…can you just…please-" There was shuffling and then I heard Rose sigh. "Hello?"

"So Emmett's answering your phone now?" I smirked.

"Yes, apparently." I heard the sarcasm in her voice and just knew she was shooting Emmett her deadly glare. "How are you? I miss you!"

"I miss you, too. I'm good. I-"

"Ow, Rose! Damnit. It's not a big deal."

"I told you to hand it to me, not answer it," I heard Rosalie say. I listened silently on the other end. "What if it was a client?"

"It's ten-thirty on a Saturday. I would've told them to fuck off."

"Wonderful," Rosalie grumbled. "Sorry, Bella, what were you saying? Are you at your Dad's now?"

"Well yes, but not right now. I'm at Jake's."

"You slept at his house?" She asked and gasped in mock horror.

"So what? Emmett's sleeping at your house," I retorted.

"Emmett's my boyfriend."

"And Jacob is my boyfriend."

"He is? Since when? Why didn't you tell me?"

I laughed and related the story to Rosalie. "Yesterday. He introduced me to his sister as his girlfriend."

"Oh…well, that's good Bella." I heard the tone of her voice and instantly knew she wanted to say something more.

"What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Bella. I just…I'm going to be honest with you here, okay? You just got out of a five year relationship because you wanted to be single and be able to be yourself. So I'm just a little worried that you're jumping into things with Jacob too soon; I don't want the same thing to happen all over again."

I sighed and contemplated Rose's words. It was something I had thought about before. "I know, Rose. But at the same time, I have a really strong connection with Jacob," I said as I started at his peaceful face while he continued to sleep obliviously. "And I don't want to let that go. I do hear where you're coming from, and I promise things are going to be different. I'm not going to hold myself back, and I haven't once felt that I had to hide something from Jake or pretend I liked or didn't like something just for the sake of being with him."

"I am happy for you, Bella. You know I'm only trying to help you and look out for you."

"Thanks."

"Look, I'll call you soon, alright? Emmett's going to destroy my apartment in ten seconds if I don't give him attention. I take my eyes off him for one minute and…"

I giggled. "Okay, I'll talk to you later."

I hung up the phone and searched Jacob's room for the clothes he had given me last night. They hung largely on my petite frame, but I wrapped them around myself and padded into the kitchen to get a drink. I stopped short when I saw Billy at the kitchen table- I thought it would be awkward since I'd just obviously walked out of his son's bedroom wearing his son's rumpled and wrinkled clothes, but Billy smiled brightly at me.

"Good morning, Bella."

I laughed nervously. "Good morning. I was just looking for a glass of water." Billy gestured to the expanse of cabinets.

"Help yourself." I cautiously opened a few until a found a glass. "Jacob told me he met Charlie yesterday. I'd love to catch up with the old man. What do you say about you and him coming down to La Push tomorrow?"

"Uh, sure. That sounds great; I'll ask him."

Billy slapped his hand on the table. "Perfect!" A car horn honked outside and Billy wheeled himself away from the table. "That's my ride. Enjoy your day, sweetheart."

"You too," I called after him. I downed the glass of water and freshened up in the bathroom after that. Jacob was still asleep when I ventured back in the bedroom. I sat beside him on the bed and traced my fingers lightly on his face, in his hair, down his chest…

He began to stir after a few minutes and blinked his sleepy eyes a few times before they adjusted to the light. Jake smiled when he saw me and he pulled me down by my arm to kiss him. My hair fell forward and hid our faces in a private embrace.

"Hi," he said in a voice still thick with sleep.

"Hey," I smiled back.

"So what do you want to do today?"

**I kinda ran out of steam at the end of this chapter, so I know it may suck. Anyway- what did we think of Paul/Rachel and Jake's reaction? What about the truth or dare? What secret does Brady have? Are Leah and Sam a couple, or is Leah after Jake? And is Billy the coolest dad or what?**

**P.P.S : So LiveTrue dragged me into the 21st century recently and I'm now on Twitter ! I'll be tweeting news about updates, sneak peeks, and probably some other random stuff. You can follow me J_Benz1. See you there !**


	21. Take Me There

**Hi all! Thank you for all the love and reviews from the last chapter- we're almost at 400! It blows my mind every time someone tells me they actually enjoy my story. Anyway, sorry about the delay between chapters, but I spent some time at the beach and took a break from writing for a bit. Now I have to go do the laundry and studying I neglected to do the entire day while I wrote this! Enjoy..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, that belongs to SM. I do not own Take Me There, that belongs to Rascal Flatts.  
Big thank you to my beta who got this chap edited in less than an hour :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 21 _Take Me There  
There's a place in your heart,  
Where nobody's been,  
Take me there.  
Things nobody knows,  
Not even your friends,  
Take me there.  
Tell me about your momma, your daddy,  
Your home town, show me around._  
_I wanna see it all,  
Don't leave anything out.  
I wanna know everything about you.  
And I wanna go,  
Down every road you've been._  
_Where your hopes and dreams  
And wishes live,  
Where you keep the rest of your life hid.  
Take me there._

"I'm really sorry about this, Bella."

"It's fine; I really don't mind." I shut the door to Jake's Lexus and he pulled out of the gravel driveway slowly while looking over his shoulder.

"I would tell them to handle it themselves, but-"

"Jacob, I really don't mind. I'd actually like to see where you work."

We were on our way to the garage where Jacob and his friends worked as mechanics when they weren't on the road traveling for races.

"It might be a mess, because…well, it's our garage, so yea, it's a mess."

I laughed. "I'm not worried."

"You should be," Jake teased. He turned on the radio and we listened to music for the ride while I watched the scenery pass us. I had only been to First Beach, and it was nice to see a different side of LaPush.

It was only about a four-minute ride before we pulled up and Jacob parked his car off to the side. "This is it," he announced. I walked around to his side of the car and followed him in.

The garage looked like any other garage. Three of the five doors were opened, and they showed a bunch of tools I couldn't name; a few cars were lifted up in the air on some kind of auto lifts. I recognized a black '69 Mustang Fastback on one, and a Toyota Corolla in the next bay.

Jacob grabbed my hand and led me through one of the bays. They all connected on the other side into a vast expanse of open space and extra high ceilings. The walls were primed white and the floor was concrete gray. Cabinets lined most of the wall space and various tools and parts were splayed randomly on them. A white dry erase board showed a to-do list and a thick black marker hung by a string next to it.

Two glass-lined offices were on either side of a reception desk. They were pretty identical – a thick, wooden desk, an office chair, and a flat screen computer monitor in each. Leah, dressed in a white business suit with revealing black lace underneath, came scrambling out of one of the offices. She ran up to Jake and thrust a pack of papers at him.

"I'm not even going to bother with a 'where the hell have you been. These jobs need to get done by today, no exceptions. I've got Seth, Jared and Colin here now; Brady and Paul are coming in at one. I was supposed to have the day off today, but you seem to think this business can run itself!" Leah threw her hands in the air. "I have an appointment; I have to go." The papers in Jacob's hands rustled as Leah breezed past us.

Jake gave me an apologetic look before he scanned through the pages. "What do we have boys?" He yelled out suddenly, looking toward the open bays. I saw Seth pop out from behind an old Ford.

"I'm doing the ignition coil on the F150," he announced. "Hi Bella."

I waved back as another of the guys spoke up. "Tire replacement on the Corolla."

"Oil change on the Mustang."

I watched Jacob pull a pen out of his pocket and scribble some things down. "I'll take the Jeep Patriot for now. Seth when you're done can you handle the buff and paint on the Impala?"

"Sure thing."

"'Kay. Jared, you got the leak in the Jetta, and Colin – start testing the Prelude so we can figure out what the fuck is wrong with that thing. Brady will handle service on the Explorer and Paul will fix the A/C in the Blazer. I'll arrange for pickup on Monday and then Leah can get off my ass."

"Do you need me to do anything?" I asked. There really wasn't much I could offer to help with, but I didn't want to be the only one in the garage not doing anything. Jacob seemed to contemplate my request for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah, you don't have to."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

"Well…you can write these on the board…" Jake handed me the papers and gestured to the white board I had been admiring. I walked over to the board and tried to make sense of the scribble.

I was right in my earlier assumption that this was more or less a 'to-do' list. Though not in order or any type of straight lines, jobs and car models were written down, along with who was to perform them and when. The list in my hands held similar information that I assumed was meant to be transferred to the large board for easier reference. I stared at the list a moment more before I formed an idea in my head.

"Wow, Bells, this is amazing," Jake commented when he walked over to me about ten minutes later.

"Do you like it?" I asked as I stepped back to admire my work and awaited Jake's reaction with my bottom lip between my teeth.

"It's perfect!"

"I didn't do much, I just made it a bit more…organized. It's all the same information – the model of the car, the problem or job to be done, the person doing it, when it gets completed, when it's going to be picked up…" I pointed out each column as I recited it.

"You are going to be so good for business," he laughed. I clipped the marker back into its cap and handed the papers to Jake. "I'm gonna start work on the Jeep now. There's a couch over there if you want to relax for a bit while we work. Or you can use one of our cars if you need to go out."

I plopped myself down on the couch and got comfortable. "I don't mind hanging out."

"Of course you don't; you love us," Jared piped up. Jacob sighed, rolled his eyes, and got the keys to the Jeep in the first bay. I had a great view of all of the bays and the men working in them.

"We didn't scare you away after the bonfire last night?" Seth chuckled.

"Nah, I actually enjoyed myself," I told him.

"Yeah," Jared added, "she enjoyed it so much she decided to wear the same clothes from last night!"

"Jared," Jake sighed.

"Dude, that doesn't even make any sense!" Colin interrupted.

"It makes perfect sense!" Jared retorted waving a wrench in his grasp. "You're the low man on the totem pole, my man, and don't fucking forget it."

"That doesn't make any sense either," Colin yelled back.

"Shut up, man, I'm tired."

"Whatever."

Seth poked his head out to look at me. "Scared away now, Bella?" I giggled and listened to the boys continue to bicker. Watching Jacob work was enthralling. The way his fingers slid over the hood reminded me of the way he slid his fingers over my body. The way he braced himself against the front of the car made me think of his hands braced against a headboard. The way his forehead crinkled in concentration caused me to imagine all the ways I could kneel in front of him and make him lose it.

I _really_ didn't mind spending a Saturday in the garage.

"Dude, I met the most bangin' chick last night."

Seth's head perked up at Jared's words. "At the bonfire?"

"No, you dumbass. Street racing down 101."

"Why didn't you tell us you were going? I would've been there," Seth whined.

"Exactly. I don't need any of you messing up my game."

"You don't have any game!" Colin exclaimed.

"Anyway," Jared continued, "she had the hottest fucking lips...and then damn, that booty." His eyes glazed over and I knew he was somewhere else in his head.

Seth banged his head against the hood of the truck in disbelief, Colin grumbled, and Jacob just shook his head. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I giggled, unable to hold in my laughter and amusement. "I'd like to see inside the male mind for once. Is that the first thing you notice about a girl?"

"No!" Colin yelled. "We're not all perverts!"

"Oh, please. We're just guys. You know the first thing you're noticing is her-"

"Eyes! Her eyes," Colin amended.

"You're such a pansy."

"She has to have a nice smile," Seth argued over Jared and Colin's banter.

"I agree with Seth – nice smile," Jacob said. "It's one of the first things I noticed about you, Bells."

My cheeks flushed red and my smile widened- I couldn't help it. "The first thing I noticed about Bella was h-"

"She doesn't wanna know, Jared!" Jacob yelled.

"Damn, I was just sayin'."

"If she doesn't have a good smile, that's definitely a relationship deal breaker," Colin summarized.

"Relationship deal breaker?" Jared roared with laughter. "Col, you have to be in a relationship first! How do you even know?"

"Oh, shut up Jared. At least I have some standards," he retorted. "Like she has to have a brain."

"Yeah," Seth agreed. "And like she can't be a smoker. Ugh."

"What about you Jake?" I probed. I was instantly curious. "Any deal breakers?"

"Um…cheating, I guess," he said quietly. His answer plagued my mind with a hundred more question but I didn't get to ask any of them.

Jared continued to scoff over Colin's relationships or lack thereof. "Relationship deal breakers…you haven't had a relationship, let alone a damn first kiss!"

"I've kissed a girl before!" Colin defended. "When I was seventeen!"

"Seventeen! Damn, I was like fourteen or some shit like that," Jared commented. "Come on, Jake help me out."

I turned my head to Jacob to hear his answer. After all, the guys had heard the story of my first kiss. "Sixteen," he answered again, without distracting himself from work.

"You're no help," Jared said. "So, anyway, she's diggin' my car…"

"Which one did you bring?"

"The Audi."

"Ugh, that car is so tainted," Seth shuddered. "I'm surprised any girl would go near that."

"Are you kidding?" Jared retorted. "My car is a chick magnet. All of our cars have been…_tainted_ at one time or another," he laughed.

"No way! My lambo is pure as the day I drove her out of the dealership."

Jared and Jacob shared a glance and Jacob's mouth turned into a smug smirk. I clasped my hand over my mouth when I realized what he was thinking about.

"It is!" Seth protested.

"Hate to break it to you, Seth," Jacob started. "But you're car ain't that pure." The guys burst into laughter, all except Seth, who threw his hands in the air and slammed the hood of the truck shut. He wiped his hands off and threw his dirty rag on a bench.

"Damn! And to think – I was starting to like you, Bella."

The was the final straw for me, and I doubled over in laughter. I couldn't find it in myself to be embarrassed; it was too hilarious to not indulge in.

"My poor car…" he muttered as he walked over to the erase board and then got the keys off one of the hooks to move the truck out of the bay.

I hung out and lounged on the couch while I watched the guys continue to work and make fun of one another. Jake finished working on the Jeep, and the rest of the guys moved on to their second job. When Brady and Paul came in after one, Jacob gave them each jobs.

"I just have to finish up on the Jeep – it'll take me two seconds-and I have to make a handful of phone calls; then we can head out. I just need to make sure clients know their cars can be picked up Monday."

"Do you want me to call?" I was usually never gutsy, but it seemed like an easy enough task.

"Uh…yeah, sure. There should be a list open on the computer. Leah always keeps things easy for me," he said bashfully. "Just say you're from La Push Auto and, you know, their cars will be ready by Monday between nine and four.

"Okay." I slid into the office Leah had just come out of and sank down in the office chair. _Wow, this is really comfortable,_ I thought. I admired the desk and full drawers with files and paperwork. The computer had icons with every important document, and just as Jacob said, there was a clientele list opened with current jobs highlighted.

I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder and dialed the first number. Saying I was from La Push Auto gave me a certain odd thrill; I felt like I belonged to some special club. By the time I finished making the calls, Jacob was scrubbing the grease off his hands.

"Thanks a lot for your help, Bells. I'm sure spending a Saturday here wasn't what you had in mind," Jacob commented.

"It's fine; I had fun."

"Bella, are you coming bowling tonight?" Jared asked. "Please say you'll come."

I was totally loving the fact that I had no other responsibilities in life right now and could do whatever I wanted. "Absolutely, I'll be there."

Jared pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!"

I giggled at his exclamation of excitement and wrapped Jacob's solid arm around my shoulders. He nudged me toward the door. "C'mon I want to show you something."

He drove around to the side of the garage and I noticed a dirt road through the trees in the back. We drove for about half a mile through lush green trees until there was a break in the foliage and my jaw dropped. Jacob smiled at my reaction.

Straight in front of us, buried deep within the outskirts of the reservation, was a drag strip -a full, straight quarter-mile track. Around it and connected to the ends in dark gray asphalt was an oval racetrack. The crew had their own personal race grounds, complete with the huge digital display of times and stats.

Behind that a littler further and up on a slight hill sat an enormous garage. "How many cars can that fit?" I asked in awe.

"Uh…about eight."

"Eight?"

"Yeah. Each member of the crew has a car…but some of us have more than that so we leave them here."

Above the tremendous garage and race track was a modern-looking apartment. It had a high roof and big, glass windows with billowing draperies on the other side of them, hiding the interior from an outsider's view.

"Who lives here?" I inquired.

Jacob went about halfway around the race track to pull up to the main entrance. A white staircase led up to a beautiful balcony and the front door to the apartment.

"Me."

"This is yours? I thought you lived with your dad…"

"Well, part of the time. When my sisters are gone, I always feel guilty about leaving him in that house alone, even though he insists he can handle himself. So I usually crash there or here, whatever. When we were building the track and the garage, it just made sense to build an apartment above it."

"You built this?"

"No, no," he laughed. "I mean, we had it built. Paul actually came up for the design for this apartment, though, honestly. He's very good at architecture and construction and all of that."

"That's awesome." I followed him up the stairs and he unlocked the door with a key from under the mat. I guess they weren't worried about anyone breaking in.

The first thing I noticed about the apartment was the open floor plan when you walked in. The walls looked like they were made of a deep, almost navy blue brick. A rail-less staircase that consisted of basic wooden planks led to the upstairs loft. There was a half-wall on the second floor so that I could see right upstairs. There was a solid wall with two hallways on either side of it.

"Home sweet home," Jacob said. The floors were large squared tiles of marble. Directly in front of us, under the balcony from the second floor, was a small but quaint kitchen, including barstools opposite the workspace for dining. All of the appliances were stainless steel that matched perfectly with the other décor. To the right against the wall was a white couch, a handful of comfortable looking lounge chairs, and a coffee table atop a gray shag carpet rug.

"Kitchen, dining room, living room," Jacob pointed out as we walked. "Down this hall is a bathroom. Upstairs is a master bedroom, master bath, an office, and two spare bedrooms."

It was the ultimatebachelor pad. "Wow, this is incredible," I cooed.

"Thanks. Come on, I'll show you upstairs." A giddy Jacob clamored up the stairs and dragged me with him. "The left hallway is the master bed and bath, if you go around the corner to that hallway, there's two bedrooms, my office, and a bathroom."

The bedroom was huge, plush, and looked barely lived in. I loved every inch of it – from the flat screen TV on the wall, to the view out the glass windows, to the colors of every piece of furniture. Jacob pushed open another door and it led us to the master bathroom. Gray and sand color tiled fitted the floor, and the walls from floor to ceiling – it made me feel like I walked into a cave. Two blue glass sinks sat like bowls above the counters, and the toilet had its own private room. A Jacuzzi tub sat against one wall underneath a high window, and then there was…

"Is this…a shower?" I asked incredulously as I tried to take in the scene around me. I pushed aside a thin glass door and stepped inside a fully tiled room with more spouts and sprays and nozzles than I'd ever seen. If I stood in the middle and held out both of my arms, they wouldn't reach the walls.

Jake chuckled at my amazement, leaned up against the doors, and crossed his arms over his chest with the sexiest grin on his face while I explored.

"It's a two person shower."

"A two…person…what do you need that for?" I blurted.

"Stay right there and I'll show you." I couldn't help but notice the sudden huskiness of his voice, and my heart instinctively began to beat faster. He took off his shoes torturously slow while keeping his eyes on mine, then stepped in the space of the shower and stalked towards me.

My back was to the wall when Jacob got close enough to touch me. His eyes ran up and down my body and rested on my lips, which I ran my tongue over in anticipation. He hovered inches away from me and rested his forehead against mine. My hands fell to his waist and skimmed under his shirt.

He pressed his mouth to my lips and caressed them with his own. His hand trailed down to my thigh and he lifted it up to hitch around his hip. My dress rode up to my waist and Jake roughly pushed my panties aside while kissing me harder.

I suddenly felt a trickle of cold water on my hair, then down my back underneath my dress, and it make my flesh break out in goose bumps. I felt something digging into my back as I was up against the wall; I must've accidently turned the shower spray on.

I pulled my lips away from him, breathless, and his attention fell to that spot on my neck that I loved. I fisted his shirt in my hands and lightly pushed.

"Jake!" I cried as the spray began to increase and the cold water drenched my back and ran down my spine. He mistook my cries for pleasure and started to move faster.

"Jacob! Jake!" I laughed and tried to push against him harder so he would understand my meaning.

"What? What?" He asked in a panic.

I pointed up to the shower head where a steady stream of water was trickling out. "I'm getting wet."

Jake smirked and flicked a finger through my center, making me shiver. "You definitely are." He pushed my panties further down my legs and I tried to kick them off my ankles before I tripped. He found the zipper on the side of my dress and in one fluid movement, had it open and pulled me out of my clothes.

He crumpled it in his hands and bent down to pick up my panties. While he was by my feet, he gently slid my shoes off and held them in his hand as well. Watching him undress me was enticingly erotic. My head fell back and he placed kisses to my legs, from my calves, up my thighs, and finally placed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to my center. My arms reached out to grip his shoulders so I wouldn't fall over.

He did that twice more before ducking out of the shower quickly. He turned on the spray and I relaxed when the warm water cascaded down my body.

He dropped his clothes outside the shower door and I watched shamelessly while he stripped. He stepped back in the shower and dipped his head underneath the spray. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me hard again. I was already aching for him when he turned me around in his grasp and pressed his erection to my backside.

I whimpered as he moved closer to my entrance. "Please…"

"What do you want baby?"

"You." He put pressure with his hand on my back and I leaned forward.

"Yeah? Tell me…"

"I-I want you…inside of me…"

He groaned in response and thrust into me. His words were a string of grunts and profanity that were barely recognizable. He trailed his hands around to the front of my body to run over my chest and circle my clit.

I shuddered hard against his body and reached out to brace myself against the shower wall. My wet hair fell in front of my face and water dripped from it. Images of Jacob behind the wheel of his mustang and grease-covered in front of a car sprung to mind and I felt my body climb higher and higher with pleasure.

"Oh, Jake…Harder." He pushed into me faster and harder until I was riding out the waves of a blissful orgasm. He joined me over the edge seconds later chanting my name.

I waited until my breathing return to normal and then stood up on shaky legs. Jacob rinsed his body off under the warm spray before pulling a bottle of body wash from a built-in shelf within the shower. I took it from him, squeezed some in my hand, and lathered his entire body as he relaxed and closed his eyes.

"I could get used to this," he laughed.

Jacob wrapped me in a fluffy white towel after we got out of the shower. He expertly tied his around his waist and it fell dangerously low around his hips, just underneath the definition of his abs. Just one little tug and…

"Here, there's probably some clothes you can use in one of the guest rooms. Follow me."

I padded through the halls trying not to drip any water on the spotless floors and followed Jacob to the other side of the second floor. I could look over the half-wall balcony and see the entrance to the house.

"First bedroom on your left," Jake told me. "There should be some girl clothes in there." I quirked an eyebrow. "That sounds bad," he laughed. "Rachel keeps some things here, sometimes. And there's a bunch of Leah's stuff, too."

My mouth opened and closed like a fish while I tried to word my thoughts. Rachel was his sisters, so I could understand if she crashed at her brother's apartment while she was in town, but Leah? "Leah…um, why…she has…"

A loud banging on the door made me jump and I clutched the towel tighter to me. I saw the door start to open and the top of Quil's pink hair peeked through. I squeaked and ran into one of the guestrooms.

"Jake? You here man?" I heard more than just Quil's voice and figured that the crew was all here. I pulled open a few drawers to search for something that would fit me. I wondered if Rachel was going to come bowling tonight, it would be really awkward if I showed up wearing her clothes and she didn't know about it.

By the looks of it though, I didn't really have a choice. My dress was wet, wrinkled, and in a pile on the bathroom floor. I found a pair of jeans that fit decently and pulled them on. In my haste to find something to cover me I threw on the first t-shirt I saw and prayed there would be sandals or sneakers in the closet. Thankfully, there was, although they were a size too big; the lack of options left me with no other choice however.

"Come on, Bella!" I heard Quil call. I tied up my still drenched hair in a ponytail after rushing to comb it through with my fingers. The situation was less than idea and I would have loved a hairdryer and my makeup bag, but I couldn't bring myself to regret wasting that time in the shower. I dashed down the stairs and tried not to trip or fall off the edge with no railing.

"I'm ready to kick your ass in bowling," I winked.

Jacob was already downstairs with the boys. I envied that men had it so much easier than women. A handful of gel in his hair, a crisp olive green American Eagle V-neck, dark jeans with a belt, and damn I wanted to take him back upstairs to the shower.

"Bella, I assure you, I'm less naïve of your cunning ways then I was for the game of pool."

"Sure, whatever you say," I teased Quil. Embry, Seth, Brady and Colin were the only other ones there. "Are the others coming?"

"Paul and Sam are out. Jared's meeting up with his new girl, but he'll probably do something stupid and she'll ditch him which means he'll want to hang out in a few hours. And Leah hates bowling."

"Oh, okay."

"Did you see Em's pretty pink nails?" Quil added with a laugh. My eyes shot to Embry's hands, which were buried deep within his pants pockets. Quil went to grab Embry's arm to pull out his hand and the two ended up wrestling.

"Don't break anything in my house!" Jake hollered.

Seth opened the door and shoved the two of them out onto the porch. We all followed down the stairs.

"Dammit, Quil, get off of me!"

Jacob sighed beside me. "This is going to be fun."

**A/N: Review, please! What did you think about the boys at work? What do you think about Leah's clothes at Jake's house? Are we ready for bowling?  
Coming up: Bella can't resist accepting another dare, Charlie meets the crew and reunite with Billy, Bella spends a day with Rachel and Claire, and Leah stirs up some more trouble!**

**Follow me on Twitter J_Benz1 for updates on my writing, sneak peaks and teasers, and occasionally some randomness ;)**


	22. Some Hearts

**Sorry this update took me so long to get out :( I even though I was gonna get it out early 'cuz I started writing right after chap21, but didn't work that way. Between some intense RL drama and a itty bitty house fire things have been crazy. Anyway, all is well now and here's the chapter. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, just the plot. I don't own the song this chapter is titled after either.  
Thanks to my beta bluebaby for fixing my theres to theirs.**

Chapter 22 _Some Hearts  
I've never been the kind that you'd call lucky  
Always stumbling' around in circles  
But I must have stumbled into something  
I wake up feeling like my life's worth living  
Can't recall when I last felt that way  
Guess it must be all this love you're giving  
Never knew never knew it could be like this  
But I guess  
Some hearts  
They just get all the right breaks  
Some hearts have the stars on their side  
Some hearts,  
They just have it so easy  
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes_

"Oh man, I feel a slew of dirty jokes coming on," Quil said as we entered the bowling alley.

"Don't you have _any_ self-control?" Brady whined.

"Not usually, no."

"Can we please try not to get kicked out this time guys?" Seth said as he walked up to the desk and got the nine of us two lanes. Jake put up cash for our shoes and I tried on two different sizes before finding ones that fit.

We trudged to our lanes, which were strategically the last two on the right. "Always the corner lanes," Seth laughed.

Quil and Embry had already laced up their shoes and were at the lanes trying to moonwalk on the smooth floor. Brady was walking toward the seats with cold beers in hand.

Jake sat in front of the scoring computer to plug our names in. "Bella, do you want to be on this side?" He asked.

"Sure." I picked up one of the bowling balls that was already at the lane, lifted it, and decided I could work with that. I used to go bowling with Charlie at least once a week every summer that I visited him when I was young and still living with my mom in Arizona. It was a way for us to bond, and we didn't have to talk much either. I had improved each summer, and just before I stopped visiting, I was bowling a pretty good score.

Jacob set up our lane with Brady, and Seth, and us. Quil, Embry, and Colin made up the other side. I sat down in one of the seats and cheered for Jacob, who was up first. He lined himself up in the center of the lane and bowled the ball down the middle of the lane with brute force. It struck the pins with a loud crack, knocking over eight of them.

I opened a beer and took a long pull while I watched Jacob take his second turn. Quil walked away and came back with two pink balls in his arms. "Embry! Hey, Embry! I found your balls!" He called. Embry tried to ignore him. "C'mon, they match your nails!"

I was watching the two of them and I jumped when I felt Jacob's warm lips at me ear. "You're up, beautiful," he said.

I took another gulp of the cold, thick liquid and tried to find some semblance of focus amidst the riot behind me. I had to represent the girls, since I was the only female in this crowd tonight. I wondered if Paul was missing because he was out with Rachel tonight.

I swung my arm back and released the ball forward in one swing. It slid down the lane at a slower pace than Jacob's, but I managed to knock down five of the pins. For my second shot, I tried to scrounge up all my memories of Charlie teaching me how to bowl like a pro. It worked pretty well – all but one of the pins fell to the floor.

When I turned back to sit down, all of the seats previously open were taken. I got my beer and settled in Jacob's lap. He hummed and wrapped his arms around me. "Nice job."

Our lanes were full of smack talk and alcohol consuming. "Speaking of bets," Quil said, after watching all of the guys finish their first frame.

"Who was talking about bets?" Collin peeped.

Quil shushed him and continued. "Bella, I say we rematch. Except with bowling. Tonight."

I chuckled. "Okay…I can't say that makes sense, but I'm intrigued. What do you have in mind?"

Quil looked shocked I was agreeing with him for one moment before he composed himself again. "Let's play for highest score. You have four people on your side, and we only have three, so we'll use my score against your score at the end of our tenth frame."

I glanced up at the screen – Quil was only currently beating me by two points, a lead I could easily catch up to. "Deal. What are we playing for?"

Jacob shook his head with a smile on his face and patted my leg so he could get up to take his turn. "Okay – loser has to get a tattoo that the winner picks, or…or a piercing."

I fingered the wolf tattoo on my ankle. I was excited to get my second since I'd loved my first one so much. And hell, Quil and I seemed evenly matched at bowling so if I pulled out all Charlie's tips from my arsenal and really focused, I could probably do it."

"Sounds good."

Jacob saw us shaking hands and rolled his eyes. "Not again. Quil, you and Embry already embarrass the team, what did you agree to now?"

"Don't worry, Jake, I got this one."

Jacob held his hand out to help me up. "Your turn again, Bells."

"Go Bella!" Brady shouted.

My face flushed and I picked up my ball. Quil glared at Brady. "Hey, whose side are you on?" Brady looked between the two of us.

"Bella's, definitely Bella's."

I stuck my tongue out at Quil and winked in Brady's direction. I could use all the support I could get.

An hour later, one and a half beers tipsier, and I was sixty-two points lesser. By the fourth frame I had seen this going downhill. It turns out I had lost my skills at bowling from my teenage years and one strike during the game wasn't enough to keep up. We were at the eighth frame and I was trying to calculate how many pins I would need to knock down to catch up. It wasn't pretty.

"Hungry?" Jake asked. He set a plate in front of me with a slice of greasy pizza.

"Sure." I gratefully took a bite.

"So…uh…are you gonna get a strike the next two frames and bonus two turns and tell us you're a closet professional bowler?" He teased.

I slumped in my chair. "No. I suck."

He laughed and tugged me into his chest. "No you don't. Quil's just surprisingly good tonight. Hey, if you don't want to go through on the bet let me know and I'll kick his ass. He won't bother you."

I laughed and slapped Jacob's chest playfully. "That's thoughtful, but no. Besides, I've been thinking about getting another tattoo."

"Bella," Quil sang out tauntingly. "You're up!"

I groaned and knocked back a gulp of beer. "Be right back."

The score didn't even itself out. Quil won by fifty-three points. He pointed at the screen with a big smile and starting shaking his hips in a victory dance.

"Damn, Quil actually won something," Colin laughed.

"Are we playing another?" Brady asked as he set his ball down with the rest.

"No way! We got to go watch Bella get my face tattooed on her-"

"What?" I half-shrieked and half-laughed. "Im not doing that!" _Did I really agree to that?_ I thought back to the conditions of the bet. "Piercing! I choose the piercing!"

"Well, in that case, I know the perfect place!"

I downed the rest of my beer before returning my shoes at the desk and following the rest of the crew to our cars. I hopped in with Jacob and we followed Quil to where he wanted to go.

"What are you getting pierced?" Jacob asked.

I shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll put a tiny, tiny stud in my nose. Or….I thought about getting my belly button pierced."

"Really?" He responded in awe.

"Yeah. Why?"

"That'll be hot," he said. His head fell back against the headrest. "Like really fucking hot."

"Hmmm…"

The tattoo and piercing shop was on a little strip of stores, but it was dark and empty. "Is this where you got your tattoos done?" I asked Jacob.

He patted the one on his shoulder. "The first one, yeah. Most of the guys got their tats here, too."

It was a bit more comforting to hear Jake say that, but of course my nerves got more and more hyped up as we got closer to the time I was planning on getting this piercing. It was the nervous kind of excitement.

Quil was all too happy to explain to the employee that I was here for a piercing. I had decided on my belly button because I thought it would hurt less; I guess we would have to find out.

I picked out a chandelier- like ring that had dangling strings of pink and white rhinestones and filled out the paperwork I had to. I lay down on the table and Jake stood by my head holding my hand. I made sure I didn't look at the needle. It was one thing to use needles at work and handle them when dealing with someone else, but it weirded me out thinking about having them in my own body.

"Ready?" The man asked. I'd already forgotten his name with all the adrenaline running through my body.

"Will you guys back the fuck up?" Jake pushed Quil, Seth, Brady, Colin, and Embry away from the table which they were previously hovering over. I lifted my shirt up to my chest and the man rubbed antiseptic around the area after sliding on gloves and adjusting the clamp.

"Ready," I confirmed with my eyes squeezed shut. The needle went through quickly and I barely felt anything more than a pinch. The piercer quickly looped through the ring and held his hands up.

"Done!"

The crew erupted in applause and cheers. "Bella, you're a champ!" Seth exclaimed.

I laughed and sat up slowly; the area was sore, but it didn't hurt. I knew that was going to be uncomfortable for a few days. I received the aftercare instructions and materials and tried to remember them as I admired my ring and ran the chains across my fingers delicately. I absolutely loved it.

Quil was forking over a wad of cash to the girl at the reception desk and I sprung up to rush over to him. "What are you doing?"

"You went through with it; I'm impressed. Besides, you paid for my pink dye, remember?"

I stepped back with a smile on my face. "I remember. Thank you."

I left my shirt tucked under itself so that the new piercing wouldn't catch on it. "Bella, that looks awesome!" Brady's eyes were attached to my naval. Jake made a sound underneath his breath.

"Did you just growl?" I laughed and stumbled into Jacob's side. Embry got a phone call from Jared when we were outside by the car.

"Let's go! Bonfire at the beach!"

We piled into the cars again and head back to La Push. Jared met us on the beach, a fire already started and beer already opened. It was a little nippy out, and I understood why Jacob had said the bonfire before this was supposed to be the last one of the season.

"Cold?" Jake asked.

"Yes."

He pulled a blanket from the back of the mustang and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Thank you."

We sat by the beach and the guys grilled Jared for details on his new girl, Kim. I was getting sleepy from the booze, but I decided to have another one to keep me awake. I still had yet to learn my tolerance.

I sat in the sand, facing the fire with Jacob right next to me and the blanket over us. I hooked one of my legs over his and relaxed back into his chest.

"She's perfect, man," Jared continued.

"Of course she is Jar," Embry rolled his eyes. "All your girls are perfect."

"No, I'm serious about this one!" He insisted despite Emrby's sarcasm.

"Hey guys!" I could make out Paul's bulky frame through the shadows cast by the fire. A thin, athletic built girl clung to one of his arms and walked barefoot through the sand. For both Paul and Jacob's sake, I hoped that girl was Rachel.

Jake tensed when he saw his sister wrapped around Paul's arm, but he stayed put. I rested one of my hands on his thighs under the blanket so he would calm down. Paul slapped fists with the rest of the guys and Rachel smiled at me. "Hey."

I slurred out a hello, surprised at my own voice. "I heard about your piercing," she said.

I pushed the blanket away gently to show her. She nodded her head and admired it. "Wow. That's pretty. Did it hurt?"

"S'not real bad."

"If you say so," she laughed.

"Rachel, where the hell where you?" Jacob asked through clenched teeth. I pulled the blanket back up over us and Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Relax, _dad._ I was out."

"With Paul?"

"What's the big deal, Jake?" She sneered.

"The big deal is-" he began.

"Rach!" Paul called. He was sitting across from us on a large piece of white washed up driftwood. "C'mere." Rachel gave Jacob a stern look before she got up. I think it was meant to be intimidating.

"She-"

"Jake. Relax," I told him. I ran my hand up and down his jean-clad thigh sensually to make my case.

"What are you doing?" He asked through a strained voice. I made sure the blanket was adequately covering our bottom halves and found the button on his jeans. I did my best to make quick work of unsnapping it while I held my beer in my other hand and looked around to act like I was still interested in the conversation.

"Relaxing-g you." The words felt funny strung across my tongue, but I continued anyway.

I watched Jake's eyes flutter close as I pulled the zipper down and stroked him through his boxers. I felt him harden from my touch and I inconspicuously scooted closer so I could move my hand more. I wriggled my hand underneath the waistband and he hissed when my cool hand grasped his length.

"Jake, we're going to your dad's place tomorrow, right?" Quil called across the fire, clearly not interested in the rest of Jared's story.

"Yeah…uh huh…" Jake replied. Quil gave him a funny look before turning back to Jared. "Bella…" Jacob warned. I squeezed down his shaft and back up to trace my fingers around the tip. He grunted loudly and tried to hide it with a cough. I started to pump harder, but he grabbed my hand and stilled my movements.

"What's-"

Jacob gently pushed me away and quickly adjusted himself before tugging me up by the hand and carrying the blanket in front of him. "We're gonna head back now, see you guys tomorrow."

"But, Jake-" Embry started.

"Bye!" He yelled back. I giggled and followed closely as he navigated us through the thick darkness and into the mustang. "You are so in for it," he threatened in a husky voice that excited me.

I rolled my eyes and rested my head against the door. Jake was speeding through the roads that led us back to his apartment, and I let my eyes drift close instead of watch the blurry scenery.

"Bells…c'mon baby." My head felt foggy and I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt two arms wrap around my body – behind my back and under my legs, before I was swung up into someone's hold. I curled into Jacob's chest; I knew it was him from the smell – I recognized it as the body wash from the shower.

He didn't struggle at all as he carried me up the stairs to the apartment and up the stairs to the master bedroom. I sleepily tugged off my pants and shirt and Jake helped me settle into bed in one of his tee shirts. He joined me a few minutes later in his heavenly soft sheets and I instinctively snuggled under his arm.

I slept soundly, but couldn't escape the headache that plagued me when I woke. I was sweating – how attractive – and lying on my stomach with Jacob's arm still thrown across my back at my waist. He didn't move at all in his sleep; he was dead weight and snoring lightly beside me.

I rested my head against the pillow and watched Jacob sleep as I got my bearings. I needed a shower desperately – preferably with my own soap, shampoo, and conditioner. It would be nice to change into a pair of my own clothes, put on some makeup, and blow out my hair. I hadn't spoken to my dad or been home in three days and although I was an independent adult, he was probably wondering where the hell I disappeared to. Besides, I was supposed to bring Charlie over to Billy's today and he didn't know it yet. I probably should have checked to make sure he didn't have to work or have plans.

I poked Jacob in the shoulder. "Jake…Jake…Ja-cob…" When he didn't stir at all, I gave up and padded into the bathroom for a few minutes. I left Jacob's shirt on but found the jeans I wore from last night and pulled them on. After a bit of searching, I found my purple dress and pumps, too.

I found Jacob in a different position on the bed when I went back in the bedroom. I hopped gently on the bed and it bounced underneath me. Jake growled and pulled me into his chest with his eyes still closed.

"Good morning," I sang.

"Hi."

I kissed his bare chest underneath my hands. "I have to go home."

"No," he protested. At least it got him to open his eyes. "Why?"

"Well for one, I need to shower."

"I have a shower."

I giggled. "You do have a shower. A very nice, very…spacious shower, but-"

"I think you need to be reminded how nice my shower is."

"I need to change into a different pair of clothes – from my own closet."

"Can't you fit into the clothes in the other room?"

"Some of them, yes, but I really have to see my dad. He doesn't even know that he's supposed to come to your dad's house today."

"You make quite an argument, Ms. Swan. Fine." He rolled himself over the side of the bed and stood up, taking me with him. "C'mon, I'll give you the keys to one of the cars so you can drive yourself. I'm sure you want some alone time with your father, too."

"Thanks. That's really nice of you, Jake."

I grabbed my things on the way out and followed him to the garage. He swung the door open and spread out his hands. "Which one?"

I clasped my hand over my mouth in surprise. "Is that a…Ferrari?" Jacob nodded. "Oh, you have a…" I didn't finish my sentence; my eyes roved over each car in awe. Charlie would've passed out from seeing all of his favorite cars in one garage. Jacob was going to let me drive one of these to my house?

I debated my options. There was a rough blue and white Dodge Challenger, a sleek black Porsche Mirage, a futuristic looking orange BMW M1, Jake's Lexus and black Bentley Continental, a shiny white Maserati, a silver Audi r8, and a gorgeous white Ferrari. How was I supposed to choose?

"I think my dad may pop a coronary if he sees me pull one of these into the driveway," I joked. "Are you sure I can drive one of these?"

"Of course, Bella," Jake said.

"Um…the Ferrari?" I asked meekly.

Jacob pulled out a drawer, spun the keys around in his hand, and hit a button to open the correct garage door so I could pull out. He opened the door for me and I slid in, throwing my clothes on the passenger seat.

I ran my hands over the cool, smooth leather and admired the technology on the dashboard and control panels. The steering wheel was thick and solid in my grasp. The instrument cluster was different than I was used to – the rpm gauge was the main focus and the miles per hour was off to the right; a smaller gauge.

"It's keyless, so you just put your foot on the brake and…" I pressed in the brake and Jacob leaned over me to press the ignition button. I squeaked as the engine roared to life and then set a soft grumble noise in the background.

"Gas, brake, clutch, wipers, shifter…I think you're all set." Jake put down the driver's side window then shut the door so he could lean through it. "Have fun, and I'll see you back at my Dad's house, okay?"

He explained basic directions to me so I could find the highways that I was more familiar with to trek home. "Okay. Thanks."

To my surprise, he leaned in the car further and grabbed the sides of my face in a needy, passionate kiss. He pressed his lips to mine, hard, and then ran his tongue over my mouth before pushing inside. He sucked my top lip into his mouth, and before pulling away he did the same to my bottom lip. "Bye Bells." He stood up and waved me out of the garage. Did he really expect me to drive when my head was foggy with lust and my lips were still swollen from his kiss?

Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway when I pulled up, thankfully. He must have heard the rumble from the car, because he came to the window to peer out. His jaw dropped and he was outside in a flash. I think he was even more floored when I was the one to step out of the driver's seat.

"Bella?"

"Hi Dad."

"Is this…where did you get this?" He ran his hands lightly over the hood, and leaned in through the window to see the interior.

"It's Jacob's. He let me borrow it to drive home. Actually, Billy Black asked me to bring you over – he'd love to catch up with you. I'm going over there in a few hours, do you think you can come?"

"Billy?" A big smile stretched across his face. "Yes, sure, I'll come along."

I gathered up my clothes and purse and headed in to the house. "Okay, perfect. Here." I tossed the keys in his direction and he caught them in a cupped palm.

My first priority was to start a load of laundry. I filled the washer and then poked around in Charlie's room and took his hamper and added to the few items I had to wash. While that was going, I spruced up in my room and went through my closet to find something suitable to wear to Billy's.

I pulled out a pair of older, ripped blue jeans and a simple tight fitted white V-neck tee and decided I would wear a loose boyfriend cardigan over it. It was between my comfortable style and something that Rose would approve of. I set those on my counter, showered, and finished getting ready.

Just in case I ended up staying at Jacob's again, I packed a few different outfits and shoes into a duffel bag and swung it over my shoulder.

There were a few other cars I didn't recognize in front of Billy's; I parked off to the side and Charlie copied me with his cruiser. Jacob wheeled Billy outside when he heard the cars. Billy waved frantically with his arm in the air to Charlie. Jake shook his head and tried to hide a smile.

We walked up the ramp and I said hello to both of them. My dad bent down and gave Billy a hug.

"Charlie! Look who it is," Billy laughed.

"How've you been, Billy? I haven't seen you much since…"

"Hey, just because I can't walk anymore doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good beer and the football game."

Those were like magic words to Charlie – his eyes lit up. "We're gonna be watching the game?"

"Of course you old man!" Billy teased. "Now, let's go, before Harry drinks all the booze." Charlie pushed Billy inside the house and their laughter could be heard by everyone.

Jacob and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. I was so glad that the two of our fathers could get along and enjoy more than just small talk. This gathering didn't seem like it would be awkward for any of us. It was different from when we visited the Cullens – everything was more formal with them, and although Charlie respected Dr. Cullen, he never felt comfortable in their home or spending any time with them.

There was plenty of food, and plenty of laughs. Charlie, Billy, and Harry, Leah's father, sat on the battered couch in the living room and shouted and cheered loudly and enthusiastically for their teams. The whole crew was there, and the guys started a shirts v. skins football game after we ate.

"Leah, you playing?" Sam asked while he slipped his shirt over his head and placed it next to her seat. I tried to avert my eyes.

"No," she replied and swished her water around in its red plastic cup.

"Really? But you play every-"

"Not right now, Sam," she said softly.

"Oh. Alright." He shrugged and jogged backwards to where the other guys were lining up. Thank God Jacob was on the skins team. I was never into watching football games or any other sports games, but if Jacob were playing, I'd watch like an addict.

The two teams were: Jake, Sam, Seth, and Jared; and Embry, Quil, Brady, and Colin. Paul was alternating out with Sam. I tried to keep up and Rachel kept track of the score.

"These guys will cheat like hell if you don't watch," she laughed. "They're so competitive."

"I'm watching," I assured her, which made her laugh even more.

Claire waddled over and settled herself into Rachel's lap. We all cheered from the sidelines. Leah seemed to make it her aim to cheer louder than we did, but I pretended I didn't notice. Claire cheered for her daddy for a few minutes, but then grew bored. She hoped off Rachel's lap and held out her hand to me.

"Do you want to see my colorin book, Miss Bella?" She asked cutely.

"I would love to!"

"Come," she ordered. I took her small hand and let her lead me back into the house. Sue watched with a smile on her face as Claire told me what to color and she chatted away as we filled in a picture of a kitten. "Kitties are my fav-rite," she explained. I did my best to make out most of what she was saying.

After we colored in the picture to her content, Claire left the crayons on the table and decided she wanted to play catch outside. Sue scooped her up a little after that. "C'mon, baby, you need a bath before you go home tonight with daddy."

I collapsed in my seat next to Rachel and Rachel laughed. "She's hard to keep up with, I know."

"She is too adorable to deny," I agreed.

"Oh, yes, we all know that. You're good with her, though," she said with a soft smile.

I shrugged. "I've never been around kids that much. I'm an only child," I told her.

She nodded and watched the next play of the game. I noticed Leah was missing.

"You know, since the guys have that meeting tomorrow, I'm taking Claire shopping with me. Do you want to come? We can make it a girls' day."

I had no idea Jacob had a meeting Monday morning, but Rachel's offer seemed like a good idea. It would be nice to get to know his sister and I'm sure she would want to get to know more about me.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Cool. I'll pick you up tomorrow at ten. Will you be at Jake's?"

"Uh…" I dipped my gaze to hide my blush. "Probably."

Charlie left just after ten with plans of a big fishing trip with Billy and Harry. It was nice to see my dad spending some time with his friends, and I hoped he would come more often now that they had reunited.

I walked my Dad to his car to see him off. "So…I guess I'll see you soon?" He asked. "I don't know when you're gonna be home, so…"

I wrapped my arms across my chest and shrugged, biting my lip. "Yeah. Um…I'll let you know."

"Alright." He got in and started his car. "I want to…talk to you about some things. When you come by the house again."

"Okay, Dad."

"G'night Bells."

"Goodnight."

I walked through the yard in the darkening night. Jacob bounded over to me, still shirtless, and very sweaty, to wrap me up in a bear hug and lift me off my feet. "We won," he announced.

"Congratulations," I giggled and pecked him on the lips.

"Hey!" Jared yelled. "I won too!" He was standing in the yard with his arms outstretched. I laughed and hauled myself into him to give him a big hug too.

Leah grumbled in the background and reminded the guys about the 'big' meeting tomorrow and how they had to be on their best behavior.

"Do you even have a best behavior?" I teased Jared.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. "What's that?"

Jacob and I ended up watching a movie at his place. I changed into sweatpants and one of Jake's tee shirts before cuddling up next to him on the couch. "I had fun today," I told him. "And it was nice that we could get our dad's together. I hope they decide to spend more time with one another."

"I'm sure they will," he replied.

I yawned and nodded my head against his chest. "Do you want popcorn?" He asked while speeding through the previews at the beginning of the movie.

"How can you still eat?"

He shrugged. "It's popcorn – it doesn't count."

I laughed. "If you say so."

He got up and padded barefoot into the kitchen after pausing the movie. I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes but tried not to fall asleep.

Something vibrated twice against the cushions and I searched around for the culprit. Jacob's phone was lying face up on the couch and the screen was lit up with an incoming text messages. It was one of those touch screens, and the entire message popped up right on the front. I didn't have to touch anything, but I could see what it said.

Leah's name caught my eye and my eyes read it before I even had time to think that maybe that was an invasion of privacy. _Can I stay ur place tonight?_, it read.

I took two deep breaths in before I started to freak out. Maybe there was more going on with Leah and Jake that I wasn't seeing. I knew she couldn't simply dislike me because of the incident of Quil and Claire's mom. There had to be more, and maybe that was the piece I was missing.

The popping in the kitchen stopped and I listened to the sounds of Jacob's shaking the bag of popcorn until it all fell into a large bowl. I moved to the corner of the couch and wrapped my arms around my legs- taking up as less of the space as possible. Jake sat back down and held his arm out for me to curl into his shoulder like I had just been doing. I didn't make any move towards him.

My chin jutted out as I gestured to his phone. "You have a text."

He pressed a few buttons on the phone and scanned the message, sighing before he set the bowl of popcorn aside and facing me. "You saw it," he said flatly. He didn't seem mad.

"It just popped up," I said. After a moment I found my voice again. "Does Leah…does she stay over here a lot?"

"Not a lot, no. I have extra rooms upstairs, and this apartment is pretty much where everyone crashes if they need to. Quil has his own place with Claire, so do Sam and Paul, but Jared, Leah, Seth, Brady, Colin, and Embry still live with their families. This is kind of the place they come if they need to get out of the house."

I nodded slowly and tried to take it all in. That was understandable, and I knew Jacob and the crew were close like that, but the idea of Leah staying here with Jacob, alone, still didn't sit right with me.

"Leah…" I began, trying to find the right words for what I wanted to ask. "She seems like she still hates me. And I know the whole thing with Quil and Claire must bother her – it would bother me, too – but…is there something else? Does she…like you?"

Jake's eyes widened as my question and then he shook his head. "No, no…it's nothing like that. I mean…." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Leah and I have known each other for a long time, our whole lives, really. We did…date for a while, a long time ago. Both of us were really young, and she was a huge support to me when-when my mom died. She was always there, she helped me, and we just started dating after that. It wasn't anything serious; we were on and off again so much and things got ugly for a while…

"We eventually decided to stop trying; we just aren't right for each other. We stayed friends, though, after everything, and we still are pretty close. We haven't been recently, but she will always be like family to me. I used to talk to her a lot because, well, the guys aren't always willing to listen to my crap, but Leah does. And I'll help her out if she ever needs me. I can promise you, Bella, there's nothing romantic between me and Leah anymore. You don't have to worry about us."

It was a lot to process. The knowledge that Leah was an ex-girlfriend of Jacob's and not just a co-worker put her in a whole new light in my perspective. I could sense Jacob's honesty in his words – he sounded genuine and I had no reason not to trust him. Leah may be resentful of me but from Jacob's point of view there was zero chance of them getting back together.

I tried to convince myself I had nothing to worry about, even if Jacob being so close to his ex still bothered me just a tiny bit. But Leah was in his life and I would have to learn to accept that. And keep a close eye on her.

"Okay. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions."

"It's okay." He was quiet for a minute before he looked up at me through his long eyelashes and spoke something that made my stomach drop and my palms break out in sweat. "Since we are on this whole, uh, topic…were you engaged?"

**A/N:Sorry to leave you with that cliffie but it's just so fun *evil laugh***

**Leave me a review: Are we glad Jake spilled the beans about him and Leah? Was Bella justified in feeling jealous? What did you think about the bet and Bella's piercing? ****Also- if anyone is interested in seeing pictures of these cars, let me know in your review or on Twitter and I'll post them so you can see what these gorgeous cars look like.**

**Coming Up Next: Bella gets a phone call from a man in her past, Rachel, Bella, and Claire spend some time at the mall, we are introduced to Kim and some street racing ;)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates on GGGB, pondering over cars, and other stuff. **


	23. Bed

**A/N: I just have to say that this chapter came out completey different than I expected. Once I started writing, though, it didn't stop. I hope you enjoy it! There are 2 (1 1/2) lemons in this chapter since I ****blocked y'all last chap ;) Hehe...**

**Thanks for all the reviews, I love getting them and I try to respond to each one. If you're following me on Twitter you've already seen a few glimpses of this chapter.  
Thanks also to my beta, bluebaby.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters. I do not own 'Bed' or its lyrics.  
ReneeFF helped me pick out this song ! She's the bestest :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 23 _Bed  
I'm staring at you  
While you sleep.  
Irreplaceable beauty.  
Put my face up in your neck  
And breathe.  
Take you into my senses  
Wake up it's time to finish.  
Round two, round two,  
Matter of fact,  
it's closer to three..._

I laughed nervously and looked around the room. "Engaged? Was I engaged?"

Jake nodded to confirm that that was the question he just asked. Crap. "I remember you had a boyfriend when we first met at the races, but one of the other nurses mentioned something that I overheard in the hospital…"

"They said I was engaged?"

Jacob nodded again. "I think so." He waited for me to elaborate.

I bit my lip and picked at a string on the edge of my pants. "I was engaged. Just after we met at the races, pretty much."

"How long did you guys go out?"

"Uh, a few years; since high school. Edward and his family are from Forks, too."

"He lives here?"

"No, no…he's still in Jacksonville."

"So," Jake started, "when you called me to hang out after I was out of the hospital for a few days, you said you were single…"

"I was, I definitely was," I assured him. "I agreed to marry him, but not for the right reasons. I was comfortable in the relationship, but it wasn't making me happy. I care for Edward, as someone who was in my life for a long time and did mean a lot to me, but I'm not in love with him."

Jake nodded pensively and took in everything I was saying. I tried to replay the dialogue in my head to make sure the things I wanted to say were coming out right and Jacob would understand what I meant.

"So you understand what I'm saying about Leah then? I care for her as a friend, but I'm not in love with her. And she's not in love with me."

I shrugged. If Jacob felt towards Leah the way I felt towards Edward, I suppose I could accept that. "I don't talk to Edward, though. We haven't spoken since-since we broke up." I took a deep breath and looked up at Jacob.

"Does it bother you more knowing Leah and I used to date?"

I tried to answer honestly without seeming unnecessarily jealous. "I'm glad that you told me. I have no reason not to trust you, so I believe you when you say you don't have feelings for Leah like that anymore. But she hasn't been anything but hostile towards me, so it's hard for me to believe she doesn't still harbor feelings for you and is taking it out on me."

Jake let out a short laugh. "Leah doesn't still want to be with me."

"How can you be sure?" I retorted.

"Because she cheated on me."

I wasn't expecting Jacob to say that and all of my thoughts stopped short. Leah cheated on Jacob. What the fuck was wrong with her?

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Look, Leah and I were on and off, but our personalities don't mesh well enough for us to be…more than friends or co-workers. I have a lot of respect for her but I could never love her like that. And she never loved me like that either. After I found out she cheated on me, there was no going back from it. It hurt like hell for a while, but I didn't truly think we were going to last anyway, so I got over it and that's how I can still be friends with her.

"I promise you I don't have leftover feelings for Leah. And I would expect that you could promise me the same thing regarding…"

"I can. I don't have feelings for my ex – the type of feelings that would jeopardize us, anyway."

"Good," Jacob concluded. He closed the space between us and pecked me on the lips.

"Thank you for…for explaining everything to me," I said. My face flushed with heat and I tried to hide my reddened cheeks but Jake wasn't having it. He touched a finger to my chin and lifted my gaze to his.

"Of course. You're my girl – I don't want you to be uncomfortable. You can ask me anything."

I may have swooned over his words for a moment. "And you can ask me anything, too," I amended.

"I don't really need to know anything else," Jacob said. "As long as you're here with me and want to be with me and no one else – that's good enough for me."

I nodded. "I want to be with you and no one else."

Jake smirked at my words and crept closer to me on the couch. "Perfect. Movie?" He picked up the remote and gestured to the frozen scene in front of us. I nodded and lay myself across his lap. My head reached the armrest of the couch, my middle was strewn over his lap, and my legs settled on the length of the couch. I heard Jacob chuckled at my movement.

"Comfortable?"

"Yes," I smiled.

The movie had been playing for no longer than five minutes when I got distracted. Jacob's fingers were whispering down my side – he was barely touching me, but it made my body break out in chills.

I played along and tried to focus on the movie again, but it was impossible. After making circuits above my clothes, Jake's fingers slipped underneath my shirt and I felt his full hand slid up and down my body. His hand got closer and closer to the waistband of my sweatpants on each down stroke. I wondered if Jacob could feel my heart rate speeding up or hear my breath hitch.

His movements started off sweet and slow, but it didn't stay that way. There was too much electricity between the pair of us that hadn't cooled down yet. I shifted in his lap to give him more access and room to explore with his hands.

He kissed the base of my neck and across my shoulder while his fingers faintly traced my hips beneath my sweatpants. Jacob easily lifted my body an inch off the couch so he could reposition us. He swung his legs up and lay on his side so that my back was pushed against his like we were spooning. I didn't notice much else because he pushed my sweats down my thighs and nudged one of my legs up. It only felt awkward for a second.

"Oh," I whimpered when his fingers slipped between my legs and he felt the wetness there. My back arched as he touched and caressed teasingly and slow. Jake wrapped his other arm around me to steady us so we wouldn't tumble off the sofa.

"Baby…you're so wet," he murmured.

I couldn't respond because the sensation was overwhelming. He made circles around my clit before changing up his speed and making me shake under his touch. I gripped the edge of the sofa because I needed something to hold on to.

I never thought I was the type who was loud during sex. I never had been before and I just had assumed I wasn't one of those people. When I was with Jake, and when he touched me like the way he was now, my body reacted uncontrollably. It was almost impossible to contain the moans and cries that sprung past my lips – so I didn't try to contain them.

Jacob's fingers pumped into my core now and my head fell back onto his chest behind me. He added a second finger and I felt my body tense up as the pleasure built. My breaths were coming in loud pants and mixed together with my gasps.

"Yeah…" Jake hoarsely said in my ear. "I love watching you when I play with you. Does it feel good, baby? You like that?"

I grunted out a response but my eyes flew open when I felt Jacob's fingers slip out of me. I tried to shift around so I would be facing him, but Jacob held me still. I felt him squirming behind me and realized he was getting rid of his pants. The thought made my heart rate speed up again. His cock sprung out and I felt him pressed right behind me.

I kicked off my sweats that were pooled at my ankles and shifted higher on the couch. Jake groaned, his mouth still by my ear, when he lined himself at my entrance and pushed into me.

Jacob's free hand roamed my body and the waves of bliss radiated throughout my body. "Harder," I begged.

Jacob's hand fell to my hip and he squeezed tightly as he moved faster and pulled me over him harder. "Oh…fuck…damn Bella."

I was worked up so much that hearing his moans and heavy breaths combined with the feeling of him inside of me pushed me over the edge. "Oh…Jacob! Oh, baby…"

"Yes, yeah, baby, come on," he encouraged and thrust upwards, deeper into me as my walls clenched around his cock.

I felt him finish a minute after me, while I was still basking in a post-orgasmic haze. Besides having the best shower I'd even seen in my life, I'd decided he had the best couch, too. I told him just as much.

Jake chuckled and pressed his lips to my neck once more before we stood up. He turned off the movie while I gathered up my clothes and climbed the stairs to his bedroom. I collapsed on the fluffy mattress and Jacob joined me a moment later. Jacob hadn't dressed again – he had left his clothes in a pile just inside the doorway.

"Best shower, best couch, best bed…" I smiled sleepily.

Jacob laughed and tucked in beside me after flipping the switch in his bedroom to turn off the lights. My eyes drifted close and I felt my mind settle in that half-asleep feeling.

"Best girl," Jake quietly announced beside me. He kissed my forehead and I feel asleep completely content.

I woke up cursing whatever annoying inanimate object was making such a horrible dinging sound. It was ringing in my ear so obnoxiously it made me stumble out of the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in to find it. As the fog lifted from my mind and I opened my eyes more than a quarter of the way – I began to recognize the noise; my cell phone.

I ran to my purse, over-eagerly, and stubbed my toe on the butt of Jacob's dresser. I cursed but moved through the pain, tugging things out of my overnight bag until I found my cell phone. Somehow, the strap of my bag caught my ankle and I fell on my ass trying to turn around.

Jacob jumped up in bed at the noise and took in his surroundings; he raised an eyebrow as he saw my position. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I felt my face grow red but I hurried to pick myself up so I could answer my phone and then curse out whoever decided to call me at this hour and wake me from sleeping next to my hunk of a boyfriend.

"Hello?"

I heard someone clear their throat on the other end before speaking in a tentative voice. "Bella?"

I didn't recognize the voice, or the number from where they were calling. "Yes. Who's this?"

I sat back down on the bed with my back against the solid headboard. The sheets were rumpled and cast away towards the foot of the bed; Jacob was lying on his stomach and peered up at me with one eye open.

"Hi! Bella, oh I'm glad I caught you." My brow furrowed as I tried to place the voice to a person. "This is Mike."

Mike…Mike…Mike?

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Mike Newton."

I said the name over and over again while racking my brain to try and place it, but nothing was clicking. I jumped when I felt something on my leg – Jake had inched closer to me and his face was at the crook of my knee. I could feel his hot breath crash against the bare skin of my leg.

"I'm sorry…I don't remem-"

Jacob wrapped an arm around my ankle and tugged me closer towards him, lower on the bed. His nose brushed against my naval; he ran his hot tongue along the edge of my belly button ring as I watched. He pulled my panties down with his teeth and I was so captivated and turned on by his actions that I only caught a few words of what this person Mike was saying on the other end of the line.

"We met a few weeks ago…club…danced with me…your number."

"Oh!" I cried out. Jacob smirked and placed a second open-mouthed kiss between my legs.

"You remember?" Mike sounded hopefully.

"Uh…yeah." I did remember meeting Mike when I went out to the club with Rosalie, and I had given him my number because I felt bad rejecting him. I hadn't expected him to call after all this time; I wouldn't have answered if wasn't in such a rush to get my phone and had glanced at the number before flipping it open.

"How are you?" He asked. I really didn't have time for small talk with Jacob's face between my legs. I tried to think of a tactful way to tell Mike that.

Jacob sucked my clit into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it. "Good, oh so good!"

Mike coughed and let out a short, nervous laugh. "Wow, well that's-that's…good I guess."

I felt my legs start to shake and tried to focus on not making any more outbursts that poor Mike would hear.

"So I, uh…I was wondering if I could take you out – if you would want to go to dinner with me. Maybe sometime this week?"

I groaned when Jacob flicked his tongue roughly against my clit. _Could he hear what Mike was saying on the other end of the phone?_ I glanced down and saw Jacob looking up at me with dark eyes through his long, black lashes and a smug expression. He was purposely torturing me.

"Dinner? Oh, sorry M-Mike, I can't."

"Really? Aw, that's a shame. I mean, if you can't during the week, are you free this weekend? Or we can do something else; it doesn't have to be dinner," he continued.

Jacob worked both his tongue and his lips over me now and I was coming undone. My body limped against the headboard and my eyes rolled back. I made a sound that was halfway between a moan and a whimper.

"Are you…are you alright, Bella?"

"Huh? Fine, yeah, mmm…fine. I, uh, have a…a boyfriend. Bye." I snapped the phone shut and it landed on the carpet with a muted thud. "Jake that was so…mean," I panted through strained breaths.

He groaned a response but didn't take his mouth off me. I came seconds later, holding him to me and praising god.

He crawled up the bed so he was level with me and I opened my eyes to face him. He kissed me sweetly and I could taste myself on his tongue. The thoughts of what he just did only fueled me for round two. I trailed my hands down his abs, but he lightly grabbed both my wrists and stopped me.

I pulled back and looked at him. "I'm sorry, baby. I would love to stay in bed with you all day, but I have a meeting. And I think my sister is picking you up to go shopping with her and Claire – if you still want to go, that is."

"Yeah, sure, um…what time is it?"

"Twenty to ten."

"What?" I hopped out of bed and Jacob lazily followed. "Your sister is supposed to pick me up in twenty minutes! Oh my god, I have to get ready. What time is your meeting?"

Jacob shrugged. "Twenty minutes."

Thankfully, Jacob's master bath suite was big enough for us to both get ready simultaneously. It was hard not to get distracted and jump him, but thoughts of going out with his sister calmed my lust for him and it was replaced with a stressful frenzy to make myself presentable.

I envied how Jacob was ready in less than ten minutes. He brushed his teeth, ran some gel through his hair, and pulled on a pair of jeans and white tee shirt. I had laid out two outfits, taken a quick shower, and had a towel still wrapped around my hair on top of my head when he was leaving.

Jake laughed at my predicament. He stuffed a wallet into his back pocket and kissed me before he left. "It's just lunch with my sister, baby, you don't have to get all dressed up. You can use the key under the mat to lock up, alright? Call me when you're done with Rachel."

He kissed me again but I playfully pushed him away after a few moments of losing myself in his kiss. "Okay, okay, go," I giggled. "Otherwise I will never be ready on time!"

Rachel and Claire were running a few minutes late as well, so I was all put together by the time they walked in the door. I heard her calling my name from downstairs and hurried to meet her. Rachel was casually standing by the open door with Claire on her hip.

"Hi Bella." Rachel smiled brightly at me as I descended the stairs towards them. She wore a simple maxi dress with a short denim jacket over it, and Claire was dressed in a little gray sweat suit.

"Good morning. How are you?"

"Good. Ready to go?" She asked.

"Definitely. Hi Claire."

"You come with us?" She asked in her sweet little voice.

"Yes, is that okay?" I smiled and Claire nodded her head in agreement.

"Great. Let's go." Rachel led the way to her sporty red Chevy Cobalt and buckled Claire in a booster seat in the back before walking around to the driver's side.

"Cute car," I said as I slid in.

Rachel laughed and got in. "Thanks. It's not as extravagant as the guy's, but I like it. I was planning on just going to the mall in Port Angeles; does that sound good to you?"

"Yes, fine. I think I've been there once before."

"Oh, you have?" Rachel asked. She swiftly shifted into reverse and backed up the rectangular driveway before driving around the track's half circle back to the windy roads of La Push.

"Yeah, but I was pretty young. I used to live in Forks."

"You did? I didn't know that!"

"Well I lived here when I was really young, but I moved with my Mom to Arizona until I was a teenager. I came back my junior year of high school and stayed through college until I moved to Florida. I've only been to Port Angeles a handful of times, though."

"Wow. So you met Jake at the races in Florida but you're from Washington, too?"

"Yeah."

"It's crazy how things work sometimes," she said. I agreed with her. "Are you staying in Forks permanently now?"

"I haven't really thought about it yet," I answered honestly.

Rachel sighed. "I know what you mean. I left La Push as soon as I turned eighteen and haven't been back for more than obligatory weekend visits once or twice a year. Now that I'm back, though, it's growing on me."

"Are you thinking about moving back?" I didn't know much about Jacob's sister, but she was pretty easy to talk to. I didn't feel intimidated or overwhelmed.

Rachel shrugged. I saw her glance in the rearview mirror at Claire before continuing. "Sometimes. I'm sure Jacob told you about our mom," she said. I nodded. Rachel huffed out a breath. "Well, none of us took that so well. My sister Rebecca took it the worst, since she relied on my mom the most. And it was hard for both of us to accept it when our brother went back to racing and my father encouraged him to do so. We felt it was betraying our mom and her memory." She shrugged again and I silently listened to her story. "We were hurt and angry and a whole bunch of other things, besides being so young and somewhat immature. Rebecca fled the furthest, Hawaii – she went to school there and ended up marrying a local man she met and fell in love with. I drowned myself in collage in southern California and did temp work for a few different agencies."

"Jacob told me you were living in San Francisco," I offered.

"That was my most recent stop, yeah. I moved around a lot, dropped out of school when it became too much. I was working a bunch of different jobs but I took a leave when I heard Jacob got injured. Getting that call was so scary and so…" she shuddered. "It makes you think about a lot of things, getting a phone call like that. But I flew back to Forks, and then got pissed at Jacob when I found out he decided to stay in Florida with the crew to finish out the races instead of coming home," she laughed. "But I have nothing to go back to in San Fran, so I've been enjoying my time here. I realized that I kind of do miss it, so I might stay."

"Jake did jump back on his feet pretty quick," I chuckled. "He definitely loves what he does."

"Racing? Yeah, he really does; I can see that. I don't think it was right of me to expect him to give up something he loves."

"I don't think he would," I said softly.

Rachel snorted. "Probably not. But I love the crew. I haven't seen most of them in years, since we were all school-age and chasing each other around on the beach."

"Any one of them in particular?" I teased. Rachel smirked but kept staring at the road.

"I might have my eye on Paul."

"Oh, yeah?"

"He's just…I don't know. I can't really explain my attraction to him. He's quiet and tough, but he's so sweet. We hated each other growing up, though," she admitted.

"No way!"

Rachel entertained me with stories of the crew in their younger years. She spoke of her younger brother with fondness and had many memories of spending time with him and his friends. When we got to the mall, Claire insisted on walking between us holding both of our hands. Rachel had a small list of a few things she needed to pick up, but other than that we spent the day window-shopping and buying Claire adorable outfits and toys.

"I can't help but spoil her," Rachel said as she watched Claire walk just ahead of us, clutching her new stuffed kitten that 'meowed' and purred when you fed it or brushed it. "I think of how she has to grow up without her mother in her life and I just…want to give her everything."

"I know. Jacob told me what she and Quil went through."

"Me too." We picked up lunch at the food court and sat down at one of the white plastic tables. Claire sat at one next to us with her cat.

I munched on a slice of pizza while Rachel bit into her Subway sandwich. "I see how the whole crew pitches in to help Quil with her," I commented.

"They have big hearts. All of the guys do. Speaking of, you know I have to give you the 'don't hurt my brother or else' speech, don't you?"

I could tell by her expression that she was only half-serious. Rachel reached over to tear Claire's chicken fingers into smaller pieces before continuing.

"Hit me."

"I'm sure it's not anything you don't know already. He's a good kid- he's kind and loyal and a hard worker. He's been through a lot in life and he needs someone to put him first for once, just like he does for everyone else. I can tell you would do that for him."

"I really care about him," I told her. Girl talk with Rachel was nice, even if it was about me and her brother. It made me miss having Rosalie around all the time; I would have to call her soon.

"I'm not the parental, overly protective type," Rachel explained, "but of course I love my brother. Although I do know that Jake's a big boy and can take care of himself."

"You should tell that to Leah," I muttered.

"Leah? What about her?"

"Oh, nothing…she's just very protective of Jacob."

Rachel's jaw may have dropped. "Are you serious? How?"

I shrugged and took another bite of pizza as I wondered how much I should tell Rachel. "When Jake and I started hanging out, she had a few choice words for me. And, I don't know, she always has comments or dirty looks and I can't help but make something out of it."

She looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "She really has no right. Have you spoken to Jacob about it?"

"Yeah, a few times. At first I thought she assumed I was after money or something like that. Then, I thought she had a thing for Jake. He told me last night that they used to date; of course that didn't make me feel any better. But he promised me he has no romantic feelings toward her nor she for him, so I can't imagine what her problem is."

"She's just a miserable person," Rachel said. "She caused so many problems for Jacob. It's not really my place but…do you know why they broke up?"

"Jacob told me." I nodded.

"How much did he tell you?" She asked cautiously. I didn't plan on bringing up Jacob's past relationships, but now I was curious for Rachel's side of the story.

"That she cheated on him."

"With Sam."

"What?" I screeched.

"Yeah."

"Sam?" I asked. "Sam as in…"

"That's the one."

"Wow." The information settled in my head and now I had a whole slew of questions. _Was that before of after Sam and Jake were friends? How did Jake find out? Are Sam and Leah a couple now?_

"I know. Jake and Leah were still pretty young - too young to be serious about one another, not that they would have been serious otherwise."

"How did Jake find out?"

"I don't remember all the details," Rachel admitted. "But they couldn't stay together after that."

"And they're all still friends?"

Rachel laughed humorlessly. "It boggles my mind every day, but yes – they're all still friends. That's another thing about Jacob; he forgiving. He forgave Leah and they moved on. Of course he was mad and hurt that his girlfriend and his best friend went behind his back and did something like that. I don't think Jake is as close to Sam as he used to be. He sure as hell doesn't respect him as much. But he supports Sam and Leah; he wants them to be happy together. He accepted a long time ago that he and Leah weren't meant to be."

"Are Sam and Leah a couple now? I've had my suspicions, but-"

"Who the hell knows with those two? They're so off and on I don't bother to keep up. I don't think they've been together for the past few months, though, but what do I know? I've been out of the loop for a while. Paul isn't a gossiper, so I have to grill my father for information these days," she laughed.

"Does your Dad know about Paul?" I asked. "I know Jacob doesn't like it."

Rachel waved her hand in the air in dismissal of the idea. "Jacob will get over it. My dad is very perceptive so I'm sure he has figured it out by now. I just don't think Jake will ever get used to me dating one of his pack brothers – it weirds him out."

Claire walked over and tugged on Rachel's dress. "I have to go potty."

"Okay, sweetheart, let's find a restroom."

I threw out our trash and met the girls near the bathrooms. We stopped in a few more stores before Claire started to whine.

"Nap time," Rachel whispered to me. I paid for the last of my purchases and we loaded back into the car. I'd bought a new book Angela had recommended to me a while back but I never had the time to read, a pair of fall peep-toe heels, a new bra and panty set because it was on a sale too good to resist, and a DVD for Jacob to add to his collection.

Claire fell asleep the second Rachel buckled her in her seat and we started driving. Rachel and I talked some more, but mostly listened to the radio playing softly while Claire slept peacefully.

Rachel dropped me off at Jacob's apartment around four in the afternoon. "Thanks, Rachel. I had a lot of fun. Say goodbye to Claire for me when she wakes up."

"No problem. It was nice to get to know you a little better, Bella. I'll see you soon; I'm gonna get this little one home."

"Bye!" I waved and shut the car door, heading up the stairs to the apartment while Rachel drove away. I watched as the car got smaller and smaller in the distance, then eventually disappeared. I let myself in and replaced the key under the front mat. The house was quiet, and I didn't see any evidence that Jacob was home yet.

I called his cell phone and he answered on the fourth ring. I scanned the contents of the fridge while wedging my phone between my ear and shoulder.

"Hey, baby," he answered. _Aw._

"Hey. I just got back to your place; Rachel dropped me off. How did your meeting go?"

"Awesome," he answered enthusiastically. "I'll have to tell you about it later. Unless Rosalie already told you."

"Oh, you had a meeting with Rose?"

"Yeah, part of it. We did it over Skype – it was so cool. She's doing a great job for the team – opening up a bunch of opportunities for us that could lead to expansion eventually."

"She's very good at what she does," I agreed.

"So how was my sister? Did Rachel behave?"

I laughed. "Of course. I really like her. Anyway, I was calling you to see what you wanted to do for dinner. I could cook something or if you already have plans to go out we could do that. When should I expect you ho-" I caught myself on the last word. I sounded like Jacob's wife, or live-in girlfriend. _Was that what I was now? _Honestly, I was spending most days and nights at his place. We'd only spent one night apart – when I landed in Forks.

Already though, I was so comfortable with Jacob. It was so easy being with him that I hadn't even thought about any of the technical stuff until now. Maybe to others' standards we were moving too fast, but for me it felt just right. I remembered my decision to go with the flow and I cast the thoughts aside.

"Well I'm at the garage now finishing some work with the guys. I have maybe an hour left. I didn't have plans for dinner, but I can't ask you to cook," Jacob said.

"I want to," I interjected. "I can make us dinner – do you like Italian?"

"Bella, I like anything," Jake laughed.

"Okay. It's a date then."

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Oh, wait! I need a car to get to the grocery store. Can I borrow the Dodge?"

"Yeah, of course. Keys are in the first cabinet on the left." I grabbed my purse while still on the phone with Jake. He directed me to the closest supermarket before hanging up.

I threw together some chicken parmesan and a salad. Jacob walked in while the mozzarella was still melting on top of the chicken in the oven. It had taken me longer than usual to cook because I didn't know where anything in Jacob's house was located. The kitchen was stocked with brand new pots, pans, silverware, and plates, however. I didn't think any of it was used before.

"Mmm…smells good," Jake said, announcing his arrival. I smiled at him as he walked through the doorway and turned back around to dress the salad.

"Good day at work?" I asked. I felt Jacob's presence behind me suddenly and smiled when he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"S'okay. But I could get used to coming home to my beautiful girl and a delicious meal."

I turned in his grasp and rested my hands against his chest while his arms held me securely at the waist. "Don't say that; you haven't tasted it yet."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it's incredible. Do I have time to shower before dinner?"

I checked on the chicken in the oven - it was a few minutes from being done. "How long do you take to shower?"

"Well," he began with a smirk, "if I'm alone – as quick as two minutes. But…if a hot, sexy woman decides to sneak up and join me, it could take hours and hours…"

I was turned on by just the thought. It was so strange to me that the simplest touch or few words from Jacob could make me wet and have such an effect on my body.

"I know you're thinking about it," Jacob teased. He pulled me closer in his arms and lightly kissed down my neck.

"Tonight," I promised, sliding my hands up under his shirt and brushing over the taught muscle I found there. I could see the edge of his tattoo peek out from where his shirt lifted. "I can't let dinner burn."

"Okay." Jacob pecked me on the lips before he strode towards the stairs. "But I'm taking you somewhere special tonight."

I tried to ask where but got no response. Jacob was already halfway to the shower. He came down three minutes later, as promised, smelling fresh and looking crisp in a smooth black tee shirt and dark blue jeans. His heir was gelled up and it looked almost like it was still wet.

I made two plates for us and set the salad and tray of chicken parm between us on the counter over the bar stools. Jake dug in immediately as if dinner was his only meal of the day. He hummed in contentment and added another thick piece to his dish.

"So good. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

I shrugged and speared a piece of chicken on my fork before smearing it in some sauce and delicately savoring the flavor in my mouth. "I just taught myself, I guess," I answered after I swallowed. "My mom never cooked and my dad only could make scrambled eggs once in a while, but somehow I picked up the skill."

"It's amazing," he praised again. "I might never let you leave my apartment."

"Thanks." I chuckled. We didn't have any leftovers like I was expecting. I had one piece and Jacob had the other three.

"So where are we going?" I asked. "Aren't you going to tell me?" Jacob collected our dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher.

He spun around with a mischievous smile. "You'll see."

**Annnd there ya have it! Did ya like it? Did ya? Did ya? It was a chapter full of smut and fluff! Lol - next chapter: there will be no fluff! Eh, who am I kidding..there will be fluff. Some, anyway.**

**Anyone shocked at the Leah/Jacob/Sam revelation? Leah fans, I love Leah too! Don't give up on her...  
What do we think of Rachel?  
Where is Jacob taking Bella? Any guesses?**

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**Also - for those of you who would like to see the cars from this fic, there are now links on my profile! Some of them are concept cars, or not the exact model, but those are what I see in my head when I write. Now you can see them too!**


	24. Born to Be Wild

**A/N: It's less than a week since the last update and look! Aren't you proud? Lol ***This chapter shows us a different side to Jacob (the bad boy side). It is a lot different than past chapter. Again, it's rated M - this time for language and violence. Also, please remember this is fanFICTION, people.**

**Thanks to all of you who left me reviews on the last chapter! I love them and try to respond to each one. Thanks also to those of you who put me on author/story alert. P.S. I accept anonymous reviews - so even if you don't have an account, please leave me a little love. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters. I do not own Born to Be Wild or it's lyrics.  
This chapter was beta'd by bluebaby.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 24 _Born to Be Wild  
Get your motor running,  
Head out on the highway.  
Looking for adventure,  
In whatever comes our way.  
Yeah, darling  
Gonna make it happen.  
Take the world in a love embrace.  
Fire all of your guns  
At once and,  
Explode into space.  
I like smoke and lightening;  
Heavy metal thunder.  
Racing in the wind and,  
The feeling that I'm under.  
_

"If you don't tell me where we are going, I won't know what to wear." I followed Jake up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"I don't know, Bella, whatever you want to wear is fine."

I sighed. Men never understand these things. "Well, is it formal? Or are jeans okay? Are other people gonna be there?"

"Yeah other people are gonna be there. We're meeting up with Jared, so we have to go."

"You're gonna wear jeans?"

"Yes," he said exasperated. He was in dark blue jeans, sneakers, a black shirt, and his leather jacket was laying out ready to go.

"Well, okay. I will, too."

I tried everything but Jacob wouldn't give up any information on where we were going. Night had fallen by now and I had no inkling of a guess. We were driving in the Maserati, which was of course amazing.

We drove for about a half an hour and at around eleven p.m., we arrived at the scene. I tried to take in everything around me at once, but I was overwhelmed. All of my senses shot into overdrive, along with my nerves and my adrenaline.

Jacob pulled over and idled the car while he stepped out. I found Jared's face moving closer in the crowd and stepped out of the car tentatively. Jared had his arm around a girl, about a foot shorter than him. She was tanned, with dark eye make-up and jet black hair that angled down to her shoulders. I wondered if that was Kim.

Jacob came around to my side of the car and put an arm tightly around my waist. I tucked my body into him and stayed close. "Welcome to the streets, baby," he said into my ear.

There was a huge crowd of people on the ratty sidewalk. The strip of buildings behind them was abandoned, and the windows and doors were boarded up. A few cars idled on the side of the road, some doors open, and some windows down, with blaring rap music coming through the speakers. The floor seemed to shake with every beat of the bass.

"Hey, hey!" Jared clapped hands with Jake and did that manly hug that guys do. The girl next to him cocked a hip and rested her arm there. I couldn't help by check her out. She had an amazing body; I could tell because she was wearing barely anything. Her chest was covered in a black bra, and over that was a long sleeved mesh white top that stopped at the top of her rib cage. Her entire midriff was exposed – I don't know how she wasn't freezing. Denim short shores hung low on her hips and ended very high on her thighs. Her black heels were sky high as well.

I suddenly felt very out of place when looking down at my jeans, Converse, and blouse. I glanced around at the other people in the crowd. The men will burly, although not as big as Jacob and Jared, but some were slim with muscles. There were women scattered about the crowd, but most of them were dressed sexier and a lot riskier than I was.

Jared gave me a bear hug and I was forced to let go of my tight grasp on Jacob. He pulled away and then grabbed Kim's hand and led her toward us. "Babe, this is Jacob, and his girl Bella," he said.

Jacob dipped his head and said hello, and then Kim turned to me. "First time?" She asked. Her voice was smooth and sweet – not what I was expecting.

"Uh…yeah."

She held her hand out and I shook it meekly. "Kim," she said, introducing herself. "You race?" She asked.

"No. You?"

"Yeah. Not tonight, though." She wrapped herself around Jared's side and ran her hand down his chest. "I'm here for Jared." Jared winked in my direction and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be jealous, B. I still love you," he teased.

"C'mere; I want you to meet some people," Jacob said. He led me away from Jared and Kim to a group of three men with women draped on their arms and their cars.

"Look who's here!" One of the guys said, turning to face Jacob and me. I wasn't sure if his tone of voice was genuine or sarcastic – it was creeping me out.

"What's up bro?" Jacob let go of me to shake hands with one of the guys.

"Haven't seen you around much, man," the guy replied. "What do you think you're too fucking good for this shit now, big shot?" Jacob ignored him and gestured toward the blue car in front of them.

"What'cha driving?"

"My Lexus. SC300 Turbo. I just upgraded the supercharger, dude; you better make sure you're on your fucking game tonight or I'll be going home with the Maserati."

Jacob shook his head. "Whatever you say, bro. I like what you did on the body." Jacob ran his finger over the front fender that was only an inch off the ground.

"Just got her out of the shop today," the man said.

"And who's this?" The guy turned his gaze on me. Jacob noticed right away and came to stand beside me again, possessively holding on to my waist. His arm dipped low and he tucked his hand in the pocket of my jeans.

"Bella, this is Marcus," Jacob said.

I forced a smile. "Hi."

"Well, hello."

Jacob interrupted and started to walk away. "See you at the dig, Marcus. Are your brothers racing?"

"Cauis," he answered. "He's around somewhere, showing off the suicide doors he installed on the E36. Such a fucking idiot," he muttered.

"Alright, see ya man."

We turned and walked back to where Jake's car was. "That was one of the Volturi brothers," Jacob explained. "There are three of them: Aro, Cauis, and Marcus. They used to have a racing team, but they got busted a few years ago for doing illegal shit and got kicked out. They race here, though."

"Are they friends of yours?"

"Oh, fuck no. I can't stand any of them. But, you know, keep your enemies close."

"Oh."

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, concern stretching across his face.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm just a little…I've never been to anything like this."

"I kind of figured," Jake laughed. "Being a cop's daughter and all."

"Right."

We hung out for a little more and Jacob spoke to a few more people. Kim whisked me away when the races were about to start. "Don't act like such a newbie," she instructed. "Shit like that doesn't fly well, especially if you wanna hang out with me."

"What? I-"

"Just follow me," she grumbled. She grabbed hold of my hand and tugged me to the cracked up sidewalk, where the crowd was now converging. Six cars lined up on the wide street, making an even line. I spotted the flat black of Jacob's leather jacket and watched him duck into the car. Next to him, Jared was already revving the engine of his black Porsche Mirage.

A woman with long dirty blonde hair stepped to the front of their makeshift line, and held a piece of fabric in her hands. She held it out for a few seconds, and I felt the noise of the engines through my feet. She smirked, and a second later, dropped the cloth. It fell to the ground but I lost track of it when each of the six cars went whizzing by, and the crowd erupted in mayhem.

"How do they know who wins?" I asked Kim after we watched the cars disappear down the street as far as we could until they vanished from eyesight. We could still hear them, but they were gone.

"It's a circuit," she explained. "This is the starting point and the finish line. The guys all agree on the route and it ends up here."

I saw money being passed around and bets being made. Cigarette smoke filled the air as we waited for their return. Kim led me an empty space of curb and she plopped herself down onto it as I followed.

"Do the guys really race for pinks?" I asked. I was shocked to think that if Jacob didn't win, Marcus would be driving home in his Maserati.

"No," Kim laughed. "That rarely happens – only in the movies."

"Oh."

Kim was in the middle of explaining more about these street races to me when a tall, lanky man sat down closely next to her.

"Kimberly," he drawled in what was probably meant to be a seductive accent. He placed a hand on Kim's leg but she stood up and ripped it off.

"Fuck off, Demetri!"

"Oh, come off it. This little act is getting old, you know."

"Go find your bitch; I'm sure she's here whoring herself around," Kim spat. I stood up and backed off instinctively.

"Jealous?" He smirked.

"Not in a million years."

"You know where to find me," he said before slipping into the crowd.

"Son of a bitch!" Kim yelled before sinking back down to the curb. I was about to ask her if she was alright when she spoke again. "I fucking hate that cocky bastard."

"I-I'm sorry." I looked around at the rest of the crowd as they started getting loud again. The sounds of the cars were getting louder and closer, too. Kim looked up quickly and composed herself, then grabbed me and led us to the front of the mob.

"They're back," she told me. I squinted my eyes into the darkness to look for any signs of the Maserati or Jared's Audi. We must have waited for a full minute before headlights came speeding toward us. My first instinct was the flinch and move closer to the sidewalk, but Kim had a firm grasp on my hand and she was holding tightly.

Jared's Porsche sped by us then drifted around and stopped so the car was angled toward us. White smoke rose from where the tires squealed against the pavement. The E36 was next, and I started to look anxiously for Jacob's car. He stopped right at the finish line, followed by the Lexus we had seen earlier, and two other cars. The drivers got out and the crowd seemed to swallow them. Kim dashed to Jared and I pushed through to find Jacob.

He pushed open the door and stood up, and I was momentarily frozen by how fucking hot that scene was. He emerged from the car effortlessly in that damn leather jacket that I knew I would be seeing later on the floor of his bedroom.

I suddenly was enjoying this night a lot more.

The driver's congregated in a circle around a man who seemed to be regulating the races. Jared was collecting his winning from the other drivers. They walked away grumbling, and some were dangerously quiet.

"Hey," Jacob said when I snuck under his arm and into the circle.

Jared was smiling widely and proudly, and boasted his first place. Jacob pulled a wad of green cash from his pocket and my eyes went wide.

"Nice race, bro," Jared said. "I'm out for the night. See you tomorrow." He nodded at my direction and so did Kim. They both got in the Mirage and I couldn't see them through the tinted windows. The crowd was still enveloping Jared's car, but he revved the engine and they made a path. His tires squealed and he took off speeding away from the crowd.

"How much did you have on that race?" I asked.

Jacob shrugged. "A couple thousand."

"A couple thousand?"

"I'd rather it go to Jared than one of the Volturi's," he reasoned. "So, what did you think?"

"Um…well, it's not what I expected," I laughed. Jacob chuckled along with me and then eyed someone in the crowd over my head.

"I'm gonna do another one; do you want to ride with me?" I look back and forth between Jacob and his car.

"I can do that?"

"If you're up for it?" I felt a spike of adrenaline rush from head to toe through my body when I pictured being in the passenger seat watching Jake control the car and speed through the slick streets.

"Definitely."

"Get in," he instructed, opening the passenger door for me and helping me inside. "I'll be right back; I have to put us in." I watched him jog over to the mediator and hand him something. Even the image of him jogging back to the car was sexy.

Jacob got in, pulled the door shut, and immediately put the car in reverse. He held a hand on my seat so he could turn around and put us back at the starting line.

"Ready?" I saw all of his white teeth as he shot me an excited smile.

I was bouncing in my seat. "Yes!"

"Don't freak out on me, okay? I promise I won't crash."

I snorted. "That's comforting." He reached over quickly and gave me a hard, wet kiss on the mouth that left me breathless.

I didn't have time to respond, because he rolled both of the windows down and we were side by side our competition. That didn't mean some of the other guys didn't notice, though.

"Aw, how cute," one of them sneered.

"Shut up, Caius," Jake threatened, although he was still smiling at me.

"Touchy, touchy," Caius mocked. "Don't let it be a distraction Jakey, even if she is a top notch fuck." My jaw dropped and I saw Jacob's fists clench hard around the steering wheel.

"I said shut the fuck up, Caius!" Jacob put the windows up and the sound of Caius' taunting was silenced. I was silent as we watched a woman, a different one from the first round, stepped out in front of the line of only four cars this time.

I barely registered the fact that she had dropped the cloth when my head hit the headrest on the back of the seat and the car lurched forward. Jacob put his hand across my chest to steady me and glanced quickly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I breathed, watching the scenery fly by me. "Wasn't ready."

He removed his hand and shifted quickly into second, third, and kept climbing. The car didn't struggle under his direction; he guided it skillfully until the needle on the speedometer steadily climbed higher.

I scanned the streets for signs of the other racers. I swore none of them looked like they were even moving when we first took off. I leaned forward in my seat to look out the wide windshield; upon seeing no one, I checked the mirrors.

Caius' white BMW was slowly creeping up the right side of us, close enough to scratch the paint of the Maserati with his side mirror. A second car was straight behind us, weaving back and forth. I didn't see the fourth one.

"Get ready," Jake said by way of warning. I gripped the seat tightly and looked around, waiting for something to happen.

I couldn't see Jacob's feet, but I heard the click of the pedals or the clutch and suddenly we were turning – no- drifting.

The back wheels of the car locked up for mere seconds while we were still in motion and the back of the car skidded out to the right, turning us perpendicular to the direction we had just been going in. Without any delay at all, we were flying again, but this time there was pedestrian traffic to compete with.

Jacob weaved expertly in and out of the slower moving cars and I watched them pass like they were stopped, and we were the only ones on the road actually driving.

A white car appeared on Jacob's side, inching forward in front of us. "Shit," Jacob cursed and downshifted. The car made an even louder noise and the g-force increased. I was glued to my seat.

Jacob regained the lead again, and a minute later we were drifting around another turn, an empty road. He started cheering in victory before we passed the line.

"Ah! That was incredible!" I started squealing and jumping in my seat. I hurried to unlatch my seat belt and met Jake outside the car. The three other drivers pulled up beside us and begrudgingly got out of their cars.

Jacob halted the engine, ran around the front of the car to meet me, and laughed at my excitement. He kissed me in front of everyone, and didn't let go until I was blushing furiously. I ducked my head and let my hair hide me from the jealous stares of other girls around me.

"Race of the night," Jacob boasted. "I'll be right back," he said. "Stay by the car; we're gonna go home in two minutes. I just have to meet with the guys." I nodded and he took a few steps off before turning around, his face serious. "I mean it, don't go anywhere."

"I won't," I promised. I leaned against the frame of the car by the passenger side with the door open, my eyes focused on Jacob.

A few men clapped him on the back as he made his way over to the circle of drivers and collected what I assumed to be his winnings for the night; most of the crowd began to trickle out. Two races, both won by the boys of Clearwater and Black. I smirked.

I was so focused on watching Jacob that I jumped when I heard a deep voice in my ear. I shivered and moved away from the sound instinctually.

"You with the winner?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. I saw his eyes look up and down my body and I wanted to gag. He was strikingly pale in the glow of the streetlights and he had shoulder-length, greasy black hair.

I tried to ignore him, or say something bold like Kim had, but I had no voice, and nowhere to move. "I'm sure you're impressed by him now," the man said, "but he's really just a boy. A woman like you needs so much more than that child."

"I'm not interested," I said firmly, glancing back at Jacob.

"He's out of his mind, bringing you here," he continued, "he obviously can't appreciate what he has. An unwise move, trying to flaunt you in front of everyone – he doesn't know the fire he caused."

_What the fuck is this guy talking about? _

"Are you sure you don't want to take me up on my offer?" He asked, holding a hand out in front of me. I backed up against the car. "I can promise you you won't regret it." His smile sent shivers down my spine, and not the good kind. He wrapped his long, skinny fingers around my wrist and my focus came crashing in on me, hard.

"Get your fucking hands off me! Now!" The man pulled back in surprise, but the smile was still on his face, and his fingers stayed around my wrist. Charlie's self-defense classes sprung to mind and I struggled to remember his advice. _Why hadn't I paid more attention to him?_

The man chuckled darkly as I tried to release his grasp on me. My knee shot up, attempting to hit him in the groin, but I missed and only managed to slam into his thigh. His eyes filled with rage. "Let go!" I yelled again. I turned to find Jacob, ready to call out to him, but saw that he had already heard my screams. His head spun around and he bolted toward us when he saw my predicament.

"Aro!" He called menacingly. "Who the fuck do you think you are? She said let go." I was never afraid of Jacob, I had no reason to be, but I could tell he could easily be threatening when he had to be. Like now.

His hands were clenched into fists at his sides and his stance was powerful. Aro's hand dropped, but he said held my wrist. I pulled with the force of my whole body.

Jacob moved to step between us and he shoved Aro, hard. I stumbled along with Aro since his hand was still gripping me, but he fell and was forced to let go.

Caius saw the commotion and sprinted over. "What's going on here?" I heard the engines of a few other cars as the drivers drove off, done competing for the night.

Jacob was seething with anger and he was glaring at Aro who was moving to get up off the ground. Caius looked between both of them and let out a laugh.

"He hit on the broad, Jacob? Can't handle a little friendly competition?" He sneered.

"Jacob!" I cried out. Aro lifted himself off the ground and sent a fist flying at Jacob in the same motion. A circle of people from the remaining crowd moved to get a better view and I was screaming for someone to do something. I heard sirens faintly in the background of the town, but it passed through one ear and out the other.

Jacob recovered quickly, but soon he and Aro were involved in the worst fight I'd ever seen. I reached in and latched onto Jacob's shirt; I tugged hard but he barely registered my touch. They wrestled on the ground and I lost my grip on his jacket. My efforts were futile anyway, since a large body gripped me around the waist and pulled me away from the action.

I saw people from the crowd scurrying away, in groups or individually. "Cops!" I heard one guy yell. Everyone who heard ran off in different directions, and I heard the squealing of tires. The sirens got louder and louder and I realized they were coming here.

It was then that I noticed Caius disappeared, and I hadn't seen Marcus anywhere. The Maserati was ten feet to my left, the passenger's side door still open. I contemplated making a run for it with the car, but then how would I get Jacob in it?

Apparently, Caius had the same idea. I heard the growl of the engine of his BMW, and he drove right beside Jacob and his brother. He pushed the passenger's door open and yelled to Aro. Aro got up and shoved Jacob, hard, but Jacob held on to him. Aro struggled for a second before he got himself out of Jacob's grasp and into his brother's car. They speed away as three cop cars rounded the corner. Two took off after them.

Jacob looked around for me frantically, and all the breath left my lungs when I saw him. His face was smeared with dirt and grease; his nose, bleeding. There was a scratch above his right eyebrow. I wanted to run for him, but now the cop was screaming something, and it was directed at us. He stood defensively with his weapon pointed in our direction.

Jacob lifted his hands in the air and then cupped them on the back of his head. Trembling, I copied his movements. I could hear the cop saying something to us, but my mind was foggy. This all felt so surreal – it couldn't be happening.

The next thing I knew, Jacob was being handcuffed and roughly throw into the back of a police cruiser. _Oh my God, my dad! He is gonna kill me._

I didn't get to speak to him before he was driven away. The officer had called for backup, and I was now standing against the hood of the second cruiser. An officer read me my rights and slapped handcuffs on me, too. I was shaking so hard I couldn't answer any of the questions he asked me.

The analog clock on the gray wall of the police station read one thirty a.m. when I was dragged inside. Jacob was slumped on a black chair against one of the walls, looking beat up and exhausted. I sucked in a breath when I saw him. "Jake," I whispered. He looked up and shot me a shy smile.

'Are you okay?' He mouthed the words to me. I nodded slowly and tried to assess the rest of him for injuries. 'Are you?' I asked back. Jacob's eyebrows furrowed; he obviously didn't read lips well. The officer with me sat me down on one of the chairs next to him. I opened my mouth to say something, but another officer came to collect Jacob. "Come with me," he said gruffly.

I waited another hour and a half by myself while the officers questioned Jacob. They eventually sat down with me, too.

I sat on the reception end of a messy officer's desk. A tired looking cop walked into the room and sat down on his desk with a steaming cup of coffee. He shuffled around some papers before looking up at me.

"Now, sweetheart, I'm gonna need you to tell me what happened tonight. You don't look like the type to be hanging around on the streets."

"I-I'm not," I stammered. I didn't offer any other information. What had Jacob told them? What was I supposed to say? Should I have a lawyer present?

"My father's the Chief of Police in Forks," I blurted.

The cop sighed and folded his arms on his desk. "Do you know the consequences of illegal street racing in the state of Washington?"

I shook my head.

"A first conviction on a street racing violation means a minimum county jail sentence of 24 hours and up to a maximum of 90 days for anyone who participates or aids in a street race. The vehicle can be impounded for at least 30 days, all expenses paid by the owner. Now," he continued, "we don't have any records on you, but your friend Mr. Black – this is not his first offense."

_Up to 90 days in jail?_ If that was a first offence, what kind of sentence could Jacob be facing?

"So," the officer concluded, "you are going to head over and be finger printed, and you'll spend the night here. We'll do our best to get this sorted out in the morning. If you decide you have something important that we should know, we'll be around."

The skin around my wrists was red and sore from the handcuffs, as well as sore from Aro's grip. I was finger printed and led to a musky holding cell. Jacob was already there – sitting on a bench with his had buried in his hands. The guard shut the door and I heard the click of the lock. _Way to make me feel like a criminal._

Jacob's head shot up at the noise. He looked unsure as he glanced up at me. "At least we don't have any roommates," he offered.

I let out a gust of air and rushed to him, throwing my arms around his neck and sobbing hard into his shoulder. I had been so out of it for this whole experience, but now every emotion was hitting me at once, and hard sobs racked through my body. Jacob ran his hand up and down my back in effort to comfort me.

"It's okay…shhh..you're alright. I promise I'll get you out of here tomorrow, no matter what I have to do. I'm so, so sorry, Bella. I was _so _stupid! I should have never brought you to a place like that. And Aro! If I ever see that mothe-"

"Are you hurt?" I ran my hands over his face and checked him for signs of a broken nose or deep gashes. The scratch on his head was minor; it had stopped bleeding and just looked red and painful. His nose didn't appear to be broken.

Jacob gently pushed my hands away. "I'm fine, I'm fine. He barely hit me."

"Oh, Jacob…" I cried into Jacob's chest until I had no more tears left in my body. I wanted to be strong, but I had never dreamed I would ever experience something like this and it was all too much. Jacob fell asleep sitting down, with his back against the wall and an arm draped securing over my back.

I couldn't sleep. I sat up and stared at the bars in front of me. When a guard finally passed by, I shot up to get his attention. This was a man I hadn't seen before.

"Sir? Sir? Can I call my father? He's…He's the Chief of Police in Forks."

"You aren't in Forks anymore, darling," he said. I was worried for a moment he was going to say no. "I'll see what I can do."

**A/N: *ducks for cover* ...Should I be hiding now? I'm half excited, half terrified to hear your opinions on this chapter! **

**Twitter: J_Benz1 -Follow me for teasers for the next chapter!**

**My profile page has been updated with pictures of the cars of the crew. Check them out!**


	25. Ride or Die Chick

**This chapter is long overdue.  
Working six days a week barely leaves me any time. Sorry this took so long :(**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews and support for the last chapter! Most of you loved bad boy Jake as much as I did !**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the song this chapter was titled after.  
Says thanks to my awesome beta who looked this over for me :)**

Good Girls Go Bad _Ride or Die Chick  
Why do you do, the things you do, just for me  
While people hated by my side you stayed.  
And you did that afor me, and you didn't have to.  
For that I love you,  
You trusted me, I trusted you.  
You confide in me, I confide in you._

For me you'll ride or die,  
I look in your eyes,  
I'll see the sun set tonight together  
Forever and forever.  
For me you'll ride or die,  
I look in your eyes,  
I'll see the sun set, tonight  
Together forever, me and my baby.

Chapter 25

For a moment, Jacob's scent enveloped me and I thought I was asleep still in his bed, wrapped in his silken sheets and plush pillows. In reality, it was just his leather jacket, draped over me, that carried the smell of him. My eyes fluttered open and I groggily took in the scene around me: the empty inside of a holding cell.

The past hour came flooding back into my memory. My phone call to Charlie, for the most part. I sat up and felt my bad and arms groan with stiffness already. Jacob's head was leaning against the wall, and from his deep, even breathing I knew he was asleep.

I looked around, only to see officers shuffling around slowly during the night shift. It must have been around four or five in the morning now. I wondered if my father had arrived yet, if he was here and I'd slept through it.

I heard him before I saw him. Charlie's unhappy grumbled preceded him in the echoes of the empty cell. I heard his heavy footsteps along with another's as they clomped down the hall. I shot up off the bench, rousing Jacob in the process, and ran to the bars awkwardly.

Charlie's eyes widened when he saw me, but then he took a step back and cleared his throat. "This is my daughter. And her…boyfriend."

Charlie sent Jacob an unimpressed look. Jake shrugged and smiled wryly in return. The officer sighed, apologized to Charlie, and unlocked the door. Jake collected the paperwork he needed to get his car back; we sat silently in the backseat of my father's cruiser on the drive back to Forks.

Charlie pulled up to his house first. "I'll drop Jacob off. I'll be back in half hour, Bella," he said. Jacob raised his eyebrows and looked at me in question. I shrugged, said goodbye, and sprinted into the house.

I was exhausted; sleeping sitting but sideways on Jacob's lap had not awarded me any decent rest. Even though my mind was racing with wonder over what was being said on the ride to La Push between my father and Jacob, and worry if we were completely out of trouble with the law, I stretched out on the couch and promptly entered dreamland.

I shielded my eyes against the light as they peered up at Charlie hovering over me. Apparently, he had been trying to wake me up for the past minute. He frowned and sat in his old recliner, his eyes still on me.

I sat up and nervously glanced at him. "Hi," I said quietly.

My father didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he burst into laughter. He was just about doubled over in his chair.

I watched him, confused, for another minute until he calmed down. "You alright?" I asked.

"I can't believe you went to a street race in south Washington. You are growing up to be just like your old man."

My jaw dropped on the floor and I watched Charlie wipe tears from his eyes from laughing too hard. "You're not…you're not mad?"

"Well, damn, Bella, I wasn't thrilled to get a phone call from my incarcerated daughter at three in the morning. But I got it taken care of and you won't have anything on your record. I'm assuming," he said with a pointed look, "that this was your first time, and I know you are smart enough to know better. I'd hope that you learned your lesson without a lecture from me, and you won't be going back there any time soon."

I looked down and shook my head. "Probably not," I muttered.

"Good. Now, like I said, I know you're a smart girl, and you're old enough to make your own decisions and choices. But, in case you have another lapse in judgment, I'm just letting you know that the second time around it won't be as easy for me to come help you out. You got off lucky this time."

"Thanks Dad."

"I did want to talk to you about something else, Bella."

"I remember. What's up?"

"I haven't seen much of you since you flew back here to Forks."

"I-I know. I'm sorry. It's just-"

Charlie waved his hand and interrupted. "I know you have your own life now, Bella. And I'm not trying to get involved or tell you what to do. But what's going on? You came here out of the blue, tell me you broke up with Cullen, quit your job, and you're seeing this new guy. All that is fine, Bells, but you can't do this forever. Do you have any plans for the future? Do you know how long you're going to stay here or if it's permanent? Are you going to continue school?"

I picked at the hem of my shirt. The questions my father was asking were all great and fair, but the problem was I didn't have any answers for him. I hadn't even figured anything out for myself.

"Honestly," I started, "I don't really know, Dad. I am planning on started the next semester at school and getting my degree, I just haven't decided where; I don't know if I'm going back to Florida or maybe…maybe I should stay here."

"You know I would love for you to live closer, Bells. And I'm not saying you need all the answers right this seconds, but they are things you should be thinking about. You know I just want what's best for you, kiddo."

"I know, Dad," I said with a soft smile. "Thanks."

Charlie patted me on the knee and stood up. "I'm gonna get changed and head to the station, alright? You're welcome to stay here or…you know."

"Okay."

Once Charlie left, I padded around the house and noticed a few things that needed tidying up. I started in the kitchen; cleaning out the fridge wasn't hard, there wasn't much in there. When I opened up the garbage to throw something out though, I noticed a few empty leftover containers from Charlie's favorite diner. As a way of apology and thanks, I decided to make him a nice dinner. I left out a turkey to defrost while I put in a load of laundry and scrubbed the bathroom.

Jacob called while I was seasoning the turkey and peeling red potatoes. "Hey Jake."

"Hi, Bells," Jacob said. His voice was more hesitant and soft than usual. "You okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Listen, Bells, I'm real sorry about everything that happened. That was a real stupid thing of me to do. I shouldn't have-"

"It's alright," I interrupted. "I'm fine."

"Well your dad did me such a huge favor; I didn't even know what to say to him. I could've gotten in a shit load of trouble and it would've caused a lot of problems from the team."

"I know."

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"It's okay," I told him.

"I'm going to pick up my car in a few," he continued, "and then I'll probably be staying at the garage late to finish up the work I missed. The guys aren't letting me off the hook," he laughed. "Are you…coming by tonight? Or…"

"Uh, yeah I guess I can. I'm making dinner for my Dad now actually. I can bring some to the garage if you want?"

"Oh, Bells, you don't have to do that. I'll just be working and then…I was hoping I could see you tonight? I don't know if you want to stay over, but…"

I had to laugh. He was so adorable when he got shy. "Yes, Jacob. I'll stay over, okay? Let me just finish cooking and getting some things done around here and I'll come by later."

"Perfect. Thanks, Bella. And I promise I won't ever bring you to a street race again," he laughed.

I popped the chicken in the over soon after I got off the phone with Jacob. While it was cooking, I stuffed a few more outfits in an overnight bag and set it by the door. Then, I powered on the ancient desktop computer in my bedroom and waited.

I sent my mom a quick email once I established the wary internet connection for long enough to write one, and then I searched for schools in Washington.

Charlie's words had settled into my head, and I knew I had to get some goals straightened out. Staying between Forks and La Push with no job and going here and there was not going to get me anywhere. So, I mind as well do some research and see what my options were.

For the next hour, I made a detailed list of schools in the area that had the business degree I was in the middle of. There were a few close options, plus a plethora of online schools where I could complete the coursework on my own. Finishing my degree in Washington meant I could stay closer to Jacob. But was that the right choice?

If I went back to Florida, I could continue going to the school I was currently enrolled in, but I'd have to find a new place to live. Maybe Rose would want to buy Renee and Phil's condo with me and we could room there. But then what would happen with my relationship with Jacob? Could we really make a long distance relationship work? Is that what I wanted?

Too many questions were making my head hurt, so I quickly added details on one more school to my list, and then shut down the humming computer. I put the list in my purse and attended to the turkey. The smell had permeated the whole house and I knew Charlie would be happy when he got home.

He got home while I was dividing up portions – some to leave for Charlie, and some to bring to the garage for the crew. My father set his belt and gun on the rack by the door and exaggeratedly sniffed the air.

"Looks good, Bella," he commented. I set a plate on the table for him and he dug in hungrily without another word.

"Thanks, Dad. I have some laundry going in the dryer; you'll just have to pull those out. I'm going to head over to Jacob's." I covered two platefuls of turkey and potatoes in plastic wrap and slung my bag over my shoulder. Then I realized I had no car.

I sighed and set down my things so I could search for the number of a cab company. I hoped there was one in this town.

"Alright, Bella. Just remember what we talked about earlier, okay?"

"I remember, Dad."

When I finally made it to the garage the sky was growing dark. This day had gone by in a flash- probably because of the weird timing of my sleep schedule last night.

There were no cars out in the front, so I let myself in the front door where the reception area was. A bell jingled at the top of the door alerting anyone to my presence – except no one was there. "Hello?" I called out.

I inched my way around the reception table and through to the back of the garage where the open space was and the rooms where the crew worked on various cars. It all seemed so different when I entered from the front door compared to when Jacob took me through the back.

I heard the clanking of metal and cursing in a deep voice. "Over here!" Jake called out.

"Hey," I said when I found him. I set down the food on one of the work counters and leant up against one of the cars Jacob was working on. He had the hood up and a bunch of tubing freed from its places in the engine.

"Hi." He stretched across the car to kiss me quickly.

I looked around. "Working solo?"

"Yeah," Jake sighed. "The guys got all their shit done; I was the only one who got backed up, and I wouldn't let them help."

"I see."

"Did you get a lecture from your dad?" Jake asked cautiously.

"Um, no actually. He was surprisingly okay with it. I guess being such a good kid all those years allowed me one little stint of rebellion," I joked. "What did he say to you?"

"Uh…well…" Jacob rubbed the back of his neck and avoided my glare.

"Oh my God! Did he give you the third degree?"

"I mean…I understand…you're his only daughter and all."

"Oh my God! I didn't think he would since he didn't say anything to me. I'm sorry!" I covered my mouth and tried to stifle a laugh.

Jake cracked a smile and sauntered over to my side of the car. "Oh, you think it's funny, huh? Yeah, real funny." I backed up and avoided his grasp. "Daddy's little girl gets off easy and the boyfriend takes all the heat."

"I'm sorry," I giggled. "It's a little bit funny."

I let Jacob wrap his arms around me and he kissed the top of my head. "Oh, and by the way, Charlie knows we're having safe sex."

"What?" I shrieked. "He asked you that?"

Jake shrugged and my face flooded with heat. "Oh my gosh, that's so embarrassing. I feel like I'm seventeen again." I buried my face in my hands and Jacob chuckled.

"Not so funny anymore, now is it?" I shook my head and Jacob laughed again.

Jacob and I grabbed our plates of food and ate in his office while Jacob told me about how my father really got him out of a predicament with the charges against him this morning. He only had to pay for the towing and impoundment fees and he got his car back and no mention of this on his record.

"I wanted to say thank you, you know," he started after we cleaned our plates and through away the trash. "I was kind of scared that you wouldn't want to see me anymore."

"Why?"

"'Cuz I was stupid enough to bring you to a place like that, for one. And end up in jail. I know it was…really overwhelming, but you didn't freak out on me."

"It wasn't your fault. You were defending me, anyway."

I saw Jacob's jaw tense up and he started to say something before shaking his head and exhaling a puff of breath. "All I can say is I hope I never see one of those Volturi brothers again."

I tried to steer the conversation to safer territory as I trailed behind Jacob back to the car that needed repairs.

"What's going on with that Kim girl?"

Jake shrugged. "I just met her last night, like you. She seems alright."

"Yeah; she was nice," I agreed.

The conversation lulled for a few minutes while I watched Jacob work.

"All done." He wiped his hands on the already very greasy rag. "Wanna see?"

I nodded and stood next to him as he pointed out all the different parts of the engine and what they do.

"It's more complicated than I thought," I admitted.

"C'mere; I'll show you the difference." Jacob's smiled was catching, and the pride and ease with which he shared his mechanic knowledge was adorable. If all of my teachers in school explained things the way Jacob could, I would always pay attention in class.

Jake led me over to Seth's Lamborghini, toward the back entrance of the garage. He propped up the hood and repeated the engine terms he had just used in reference to the other car.

"What do you think?" He asked, delicately closing the hood. I ran my hands over the slick, shiny paint and bit my lip.

"I think…that I never took you up on your offer," I teased mischievously.

I slid between Jake's body and the hood of the car and gently rested a hair of my weight on it, looking up at Jacob seductively. He was still confused.

"Fuck me on the hood of the car, Jake."

His eyes went wide at my expression, and then darkened as he growled and leaned in. "Oh, Bella," he smiled. "You really don't know what you're asking for."

"No?" I asked innocently. Jacob pulled me close and kissed up my neck with a growl. "I thought I was asking for your cock," I started as I palmed his erection over his jeans, "to be inside of me. Right here…right now."

He moaned against my neck and I felt him harden even more against my hips.

"Can you do that?" I asked playfully.

"Fuck yeah I can do that!" He answered.

I laughed but the sound barely made it past my lips because Jacob swallowed the sound with his own mouth. His capable hands made fast work of the button on my jeans and soon they were around my ankles at the floor. "Turn around," Jake told me.

I heard him pull his own pants and boxers down and the metal of his belt clinked against the hard floors as it landed. Panting, I bent over and rested my weight on my elbows on the front of the lambo. Jacob reached around and circled my clit with his finger, which made me gasp.

My knees buckled as he increased the pressure and speed and I struggled to keep myself somewhat upright. "Oh, baby…"Jake groaned. "You're already so wet for me." He drew his finger from my clit down to my entrance and teased me there. "I love how wet you get. Have you thought about this? Have you thought about me fucking you on the car?"

I only whimpered as he pressed two fingers into me and began to pump. "I've thought about it," he said. I tried to focus on his words and not let the sensations completely envelop me just yet. "I've thought about it so many times -pounding into that warm, tight pussy while you're splayed out on my car. So fucking beautiful…"

I pushed my ass back into him and Jacob got the hint. He removed his fingers and replaced them with his cock. We both moaned out at the contact and I let myself be completely supported by the car underneath me and Jacob behind me.

"Fuck…" Jake growled. He pulled almost all the way out, so only his tip was inside me, and slammed back in. I screamed out and the sound echoed in the empty space. "Yeah…yes…Bella…god you feel good." He thrust harder into me with each push of his hips, but I still wanted more.

"Faster…" I breathed. "Please."

Jacob quickened his motions and wrapped an arm around me again so his fingers could play with my clit while he pounded into me. I felt the muscles in my legs get stiff and tight; I felt myself teetering on the edge of my release.

"I'm gonna…I-I'm-" I didn't even get to finish the sentence before my walls were clamping around Jacob's manhood and my climax made me toes curl. My body shook with release and Jacob held an arm around me as he thrust until he found his own release. He mumbled a string of words or sentences that I couldn't make out because my brain was foggy.

"Shit Bells…oh my god that felt so fucking good..." He rested his forehead against my back for a minute until his breathing evened out.

"Yo! Jake? You here man?"

My previous feelings of contentment and calmness were suddenly washed away at the sound of Seth's voice calling for Jacob. I scrambled to yank up my pants and Jacob did the same. Seth's appeared in the back of the garage and Jacob tried to shield me behind his body. My face flushed red automatically; I prayed Seth hadn't seen any of that.

"Dude I- Oh shit! Did I…Am I…Shit!"

Jake huffed and zipped up his pants. He threw me a glance over his shoulder to make sure I was dressed before leaving me uncovered. "Perfect timing," he muttered.

Seth looked sheepishly towards me, but his eyes quickly darted back to Jacob. "I'm sorry…I didn't know that you guys would be here, but I saw the car in the front and…yeah. Anyway…Leah dropped me off because I wanted to pick up the…Fuck! On my lambo, Jake?"

Jake snorted and shook his head. I tried to hide my face.

"Aw, come on man! Why does it always gotta be my car? Can't you…handle your business on your own god damn car? Ugh! Now it needs a new wash and polish and…" Seth's words trailed off along with him as he went to inspect his car.

"Sorry!" I called out to him before I made a mad dash outside. Jacob met me there a few minutes later. "Is Seth mad?" I asked.

Jake shrugged. "He'll get over it."

We drove back to Jacob's place and I carried my overnight bag into his apartment. It was odd that I felt like I was home, like this was my home and being at Charlie's was home. I guess I had gotten so used to spending all my time at Jacob's that it was becoming home to me.

I changed into sleeping clothes and plopped down on the couch. "So how did the meeting go yesterday, anyway? You never gave me the details; you said you spoke with Rosalie?" I called to Jacob, who was concocting some sort of snack in the kitchen.

"Oh, right! Yeah, she found this pretty awesome opportunity that she thinks we should participate in; it'll help us with publicity as well. Do you want a glass of wine?"

"Umm..yeah, sure." Jacob walked over with a plate full of food for himself and two glasses of red wine. I accepted it gratefully and savored the first sip while I snuggled my feet underneath me and got comfortable.

"So it's like a race, kind of. A legal one," he added quickly with a laugh. "A bunch of drivers race down the coastline – starting in Washington, through Oregon, through most of California, and then we all end up in Las Vegas. It spans over the course of a few days, and we have required stops overnight at different locations. There's a new racing movie coming out, so it's to promote that. Once we all reach the finish line in Vegas, we will attend the premiere party of the movie and get a special screening."

"Wow, that sounds amazing," I said.

"That's what I thought. The crew seemed to like it, too."

"Will all of you be racing?"

"I have to pick a certain number of drivers, and then there can be a passenger each…I think. Well, I forget the exact numbers on the team, but we can't bring the whole crew."

"Oh."

"And- there's more. The whole thing will be televised. They'll have camera crews following all of us and documenting the entire race all the way to the red carpet premiere party."

"No way! That's awesome!"

"Yeah. We haven't done anything like it before; Rosalie's really helping us to branch out like that."

"I'm glad," I said with a smile.

"So…you're gonna come, right?" Jake asked with hopeful eyes.

"Me? What do you mean?"

"I want you to come with me, with us, of course. I'll find out what the numbers have to be exactly, but I definitely want you in. You can be my passenger. We'll ride together."

"Oh, Jake…I don't know. I mean, it's all going to be filmed and everything, just…wow. Wouldn't you want to bring more of the crew with you instead of me?"

"I want you to come," he insisted. "Besides, since you're so concerned, not everyone in the crew volunteered to join up. Leah can't make it, Quil wants to stay back and spend more time with his daughter, Colin and Brady are too young…" he said. "Would you please be my passenger?" He stuck out his bottom lip and I laughed.

Irresistable.

**A/N: Review, Review, Review! Was Charlie too leniant? Do you think Bella should stay in Forks? Did we like the lambo lemon? Hehe...  
Thank you to Its A Jacob Thing who helped me come up with ideas, such as the multi state race ;)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates and sneak peaks. **


	26. A Beautiful Mess

**I have a lot/hate relationship with this chapter.**

**P.S. I hope everyone that was in the pathway of Irene is safe and sound!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own the song this chapter was titled after.  
THANK YOU to my beta bluebaby and my girl Cyd for their help with this chapter.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 26 _A Beautiful Mess  
You are strong, but you're needy  
Humble, but you're greedy  
Based on your body language  
And shorty cursive I've been reading  
You're style is quite selective,  
But your mind is rather reckless  
Well, I guess it just suggests  
That this is just what happiness is.  
Hey, what a beautiful mess this is._

"It's not broken, Jacob. It's probably just a sprain."

"I don't care; I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out. Plus, your head is still bleeding."

I sighed and pressed Jacob's scrunched up tee shirt to the gash on my forehead. What a waste of a perfectly good V-neck. Then again, this meant Jacob was shirtless.

"I'm a nurse, Jake. Trust me, I'm fine."

"Can you stop being so stubborn and just let me drive you to the hospital?"

I looked into his eyes and saw the panic and desperation there. "Fine," I complied. "Let's go."

The day started out perfectly fine. Jake and I spent a nice morning together and then I watched him work for a while at the shop. Leah wasn't in so I helped him make some phone calls to clients and file some paperwork. I was looking for the credit card machine behind the desk when a glare from the next room caught my eye. That was how I found the motorcycles.

There were five us them – brilliantly masculine and freshly polished. Leather seats with shiny metal handlebars, pedals, and chrome rims. Two were black, one a deep cherry red, the other blue. I hoisted my leg over the hottest looking one and maneuvered so I was straddling the bike. It took me a few moments, but when I was centered, my feet couldn't touch the floor.

Jake's deep chuckle from behind me made me stumble and almost fall off. That should have been our first warning.

He caught me just in time and easily lifted me off the bike. "You ride?" He asked.

I snorted. "Does it look like it?"

"Come on; I'll teach you."

It seemed like a fun enough way to spend the rest of our day. Jacob finished up with his last repair, and then we walked the bikes out to the long, empty road. I got on the bike as Jake explained all the controls: how to go, how to shift, how to turn, how to stop.

At first Jake drove with my arms clamped around his waist and my body behind him. He told me to move my body with the bike and try to get a feel for it. Then, we switched places and Jake reached around me to guide my motions. We spend an hour like this.

Eventually, we started to use both bikes – Jake road behind me on one and he let me use the other. Everything was going fine until I made too sharp of a turn and the wheels slipped out from under me.

I examined the damage as Jake wheeled the two bikes toward the garage and I limped behind im.

"Let's just leave the bikes here. I will have the guys get them later. Come on; I'll carry you."

I declined. "I can walk."

Jake huffed but complied. He didn't take his eyes off me until we were safely back at the garage.

I hoisted myself into his truck and he drove me to Forks Medical Center.

"I'm so sorry, Bella."

"Jacob, please. Stop apologizing. It's not your fault. This happens all the time, trust me."

"Charlie is gonna shoot me," he muttered.

I didn't disagree, because if Charlie found out, that probably would be true.

The emergency room was pretty empty due to the fact that it was a Wednesday afternoon. There was an older man and his daughter huddled in the corner seats, but other than that it was quiet. The nurse at the front desk shot up out of her seat when she looked up and her eyes widened at the site of the blood.

I spoke before the nurse had a chance too. "Can you page Dr. Carlisle Cullen please?" I asked with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I can't just-"

"He'll know who I am. Bella Swan." The nurse looked at me quizzically before nodding and dialing an extension on her phone. I thanked her and sat down.

"What was that about?"

I froze. I just paged my ex-fiancé's father. Shit.

The action was so mechanical that I hadn't even given it a second thought. I could have just been seen by the on-call doctor, gotten sewn up, and been on my merry way.

Stupid.

Of course, Carlisle would probably find out I had been in the hospital anyway, and knowing him he'd be insulted I didn't insist on calling him.

"Ummm, I was here a bunch of times before; he knows me."

"He knows you?" Jake repeated.

"Yeah. You know, being clumsy and all…" I explained as my voice wavered. Did this count as lying? Would Carlisle say anything about Edward in front of Jacob?

I lurched forward in my seat as my stomach did flips and I felt nauseous. Jake rushed to put an arm around me.

"You okay?"

"Yes," I squeaked out. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of Jake's warm hand over my shirt and tried to think of a way to get out of this.

"Bella?" Jake stood up and held out a hand for me to take. I got up shakily as Carlisle took long strides across the room to reach us. "Bella- what happened?" He asked in that velvety voice that sounded so much like Edward's I had to remind myself that they weren't related.

"Hi Carlisle. I had a…accident," I said, not caring to elaborate.

I held out my wrist and delicately pried the shirt away from my head. Wait- did Jacob still have no shirt on? I spun my head around to look. Hmm..he must've grabbed one from the garage. Why couldn't I remember that?

"I think my wrist is sprained. And I haven't seen the cut on my head so I can't tell if it needs stitches."

"She hit her head pretty hard, too. Do you think she could have a concussion?" Jake interjected. Carlisle turned in Jacob's direction and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh..This is…Jacob. Jake this is Dr. Cullen – he's a friend of the family."

Carlisle gave me a look I couldn't quite interpret and then carefully let go of my hand to shake Jake's outstretched one.

"Nice to meet you, Dr."

Jacob sat in the waiting area while I followed Carlisle to an exam room.

"I want an x-ray of your wrist and probably a cat-scan, too. This gash needs a few stitches."

Carlisle started on the stitches after a nurse came in with a plastic cup of water and some pain pills.

"How did this happen?" He asked.

My face flushed. "I was trying to ride a motorcycle," I answered honestly.

"Well, at least it looks to be only a few cuts and bruises. We'll see what the x-rays show, but it could've been worse."

The tension in the room was palpable and I sat there awkwardly. Carlisle personally led me down the corridor to radiology when he was finished and waited there the entire time while his order for a STAT x-ray was completed.

Once we were back in the exam room he spoke again. "How have you been? Edward told us what happened," he commented not so subtly.

"Fine. I wanted to spend some time with my father."

"Are you sure that's all that has been going on? The hospital in Jacksonville called me when you lost your job. You can imagine how shocked I was when I heard that. Then the next time we speak to Edward, he says the two of you are no longer together."

This man knew way too much about my personal life.

"That about sums it up," I said sarcastically.

Carlisle gave me a stern look.

"I'm taking some time off." Sue me.

"You should call Edward – he's been really down lately. You two are so good together; perfect, even – like Esme and I. You've been together for so long; I know you'll be able to work it out."

Carlisle flicked a switch on the wall after hanging up the x-rays and examined them. I tried to peer over his shoulder.

"And also, you know how many strings I had to pull to get you that great position at the hospital? In fact, it was quite embarrassing to get that phone call from Irina to tell me the nurse who came so highly recommended by me was no longer employed because of some petty cat fight."

"Just bruising," he concluded, taking the x-rays down and slipping them into a manila folder. "No concussion, either."

Carlisle pulled an ace bandage from one of the drawers and expertly wrapped it around my sore wrist.

"You'll want to keep your wrist wrapped up like this for a few days, but there are no breaks. I'd advise you to stay away from the motorcycles as well."

I hopped off the exam table and started for the door.

Carlisle stretched an arm out and opened it for me. "Take Advil or Tylenol every four to six hours for the pain. The stitches need to come out in one to two weeks – so just give me a call."

"Okay." I was already thinking of how that could be avoided.

Jacob jumped up and met us in the middle of the waiting room. "What's the damage?"

I held up my wrist. "I'm fine, just like I said."

Jacob frowned and looked at the doctor for confirmation.

"Just some bruising, but she'll be alright," Carlisle told him. "It was nice to meet you, Jacob. And you'd be a good friend to Bella if you kept her away from the motorcycles."

Jacob's countenance only fell for a second. "Boyfriend," he corrected. "And I will. Thanks doc."

"Boyfriend," Carlisle repeated. "I see."

He turned to me and I mentally cringed. "Well, I'll see you in a few weeks to get those stitches out, Bella. And remember what I said – give Edward a call. I'll let him know he can wait to hear from you." He waved and gave Jake a curt nod before disappearing down the hall.

I sprinted out of the ER so fast that Jacob stumbled to keep up.

"What the fuck was that?" Jake asked when we were back in the car. "Family friend? How does he know about…Edward…is that your…"

I sunk back into the seat. My head began to throb.

"Yes," I answered. "He's Edward's father."

Jake looked at me, speechless for a moment, before flooring it out of the parking lot. It was silent for five straight minutes.

"Jake…"

"Well damn Bella, thanks for filling me in. Why the fuck would you page your ex boyfr-fiancé…whatever the fuck he is?"

"I just did it automatically – I didn't even think."

"And he's telling you to call Edward? What did you tell him? He knows you two broke up, doesn't he? Why didn't you tell him you had a boyfriend?"

"Jacob-"

"Are you embarrassed? Are you ashamed that-"

"No, Jacob, of course not. I just…got flustered."

"Bullshit."

"Don't fucking talk to me like that!" I felt my blood begin to boil. "I didn't do anything wrong Jacob! I paged Car- Dr. Cullen because I'm comfortable with him! I'm sorry if I didn't have the chance to mention my boyfriend while I was swallowing pain pills and getting x-rays!"

Jake stopped the car, but didn't look at me. We were at my house. Why were we at my house?

"Jake," I started.

"I just need some time, Bella."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just…I need to cool off. I think it's better you stay here right now."

I couldn't decide whether to be sad or panicked or angry or sick.

"O-okay."

I steadied my breath for a moment and willed my head to stop pounding.

Jake wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead.

I got out of the car-tears stinging my eyes-and didn't look back when I heard Jake's engine start again. He sped down the street once I got into the house.

Charlie wasn't home yet, thankfully, but I left him a note that I was home so he didn't have a heart attack when he saw someone in the house. I collapsed onto my bed and didn't wake up until the next morning.

My father was emptying the rest of his coffee down the drain on his way out the door when I stepped into the kitchen.

His eyes widened when he saw me. I could only imagine what I looked like: I was in the same clothes as yesterday, my hair was knotted and frizzy, my makeup was smudged on my face, my eyes were red, and I had stitches and an ace bandage.

"What happened to you?" Charlie demanded.

"I fell." Charlie examined me for a minute more before resting on my reddened eyes.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes," I lied. That's why I was crying.

Charlie either decided to believe me or decided he didn't want to know anything else.

"Well, I've got to run; I have a ten o'clock shift. If you need me, you'll call, right?"

"I will. Thanks, Dad."

The house seemed eerily quiet after he left. I slumped at the table with a cup of coffee and watched it get cold. I forced myself to take a shower, and then brushed through my hair slowly until every piece was straight and perfect. I took extra time on my makeup and my outfit – even though I had nowhere to be. I painted my nails and my toenails. I re-wrapped my ace bandage three times. I deleted a voicemail from Edward wishing me well and when I did ever get the crazy idea to get on something as dangerous as a motorcycle? I emailed my mom and told her how wonderful Washington was. I crossed a few colleges off my list. I reorganized my book collection – alphabetically by author. By ten p.m., I decided to call Jacob.

No answer.

I called him again at ten-fifteen, then twice more at ten thirty. When he finally answered the phone, it wasn't what I expected.

"Jacob doesn't want to speak with you."

"Leah?"

"Yes, it's Leah. What the fuck do you want?"

"I need to talk with Jacob. It's important."

Leah laughed darkly. "Why don't you call your ex – I'm sure he'd be willing to listen. Hell, call the nice doctor instead."

Click.

Fuck my life. Jacob told Leah what happened. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. And why was she answering his phone? Was she with him right now?

I emptied my mind of the thought, took a Tylenol for the throbbing in my head and my wrist and left my phone across the room so I couldn't check it obsessively.

Jacob called the next morning.

"Hey," I answered cautiously.

"Hey. Can we talk?"

I swallowed thickly, ignoring the lump in my throat. "Yeah. Okay."

"Are you dressed? Can I take you to breakfast?"

"Um, yeah, I'm ready."

I got dressed slowly, using one arm as much as possible, and chastised myself for being so desperate and freaked out over this.

But the idea of losing Jacob…scared me. A lot. Not just because I didn't want to be alone or was unsure what my future would be like without him.

Because…I loved him.

Jake picked me up in the Maserati; he had gotten it back this morning, and drove to the closest diner. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said. "Thank you."

Jacob nodded and ripped apart his napkin. I watched the condensed water droplets run down my glass of cold orange juice.

"I'm sorry," we blurted at the same time. We locked eyes and Jake gave me a half-hearted smile that I returned.

"I'm sorry," Jake repeated. "I shouldn't have freaked out on you like that. When you told me who he was…I just…lost it. I couldn't understand why you didn't tell me in the first place – if you wanted to hide if from me or you just didn't want him to know you had a boyfriend. Do you want to get back together with your ex?"

"No!" I yelled. Half of the other customers turned around to stare. "No," I said again, quieter this time. "No. I'm sorry that I hurt you Jacob. I don't want to get back with Edward. The thing is, I paged Carlisle automatically because he used to help me out every time I got hurt. And then he went on about Edward and my job and I wasn't able to get a word in."

"Your job?"

The food came and I took a few bites before continuing. "Carlisle has a very big reputation for being one of the most esteemed doctors in the country. He recommended me for my nursing job back in Florida."

"Okay…"

"But I kind of quit. Or got fired. Whatever."

Jacob eyes bugged out. "You never told me."

"It hasn't really been on my mind. I lost my job and my mother and stepfather are selling the condo I live in down there and I just wanted to be with you. So, I booked the first flight available and didn't look back."

"So you don't have a place to live? Or a job?"

"Well, yes, when you put it that way. Technically, I can stay with Charlie and live there."

"You're not going back to Florida?"

"There's really nothing for me in Florida. I can get a job out here easily and I can transfer my business credits to a college around here. I haven't officially decided where I want to be permanently, though."

"Move in with me," Jacob offered suddenly.

"What?"

"I have the room. And you've been staying with me all the time anyway. You can live with me and go to college and you won't have to go back to Florida."

I smiled. "That sounds really good," I admitted.

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know…"

"Think about it," Jake told me. "You don't have to decide now, but promise me you'll think about it."

"Okay."

We made lighter small talk until I remembered I wanted to ask him something else.

"I called you a few times last night. Why did Leah have your phone?" Jacob stilled for a second. "She knew what happened, too."

"Well, uh, I kind of throw myself into my work when I get upset. And I was at the garage all day yesterday. And Leah, well, we're close and she was there and…I needed to vent. I left my cell at the garage overnight, thought. She must have picked it up."

"Okay." It made sense, and I trusted him, so I didn't push it any further.

Jacob paid the bill and we strolled slowly into the parking lot by his car. He pulled me into a soft, slow kiss. His lips caressed mine and he took his time before pulling away and looking into my eyes. I felt that connected even stronger than the times before. I wanted to kiss him again, but Jacob opened the door for me and ushered me in. "Come on…"

He held my hand while he drove, passing the exit for my house and driving further up the highway to La Push.

We ended up on the sand of First Beach. Jake pulled out a towel for us to sit on as he held me and we watched the breeze push the waves toward the shore. I was mesmerized by the sound they made when they crashed against the sand.

I don't know when we started kissing again – just that it was sweet and gentle. My body melted into Jacob as he pressed himself over me on the beach. Our eyes locked, but neither of us said a word.

I slipped out of my pants and pushed Jacob's jeans down his legs. His cock sprang free and showed me that he needed this as badly as I did. Jacob moaned into my mouth when I wrapped my fingers around him and stroked him sensually. He pushed my panties aside and spread my juices with his fingers. He kissed the top of my breasts before moving my hand off him and lining himself up with my entrance.

"Look at me, Bella," he breathed.

Our eyes locked on each other's face as he impaled me with every inch. My nails left indented scratch marks down his back under his shirt as he moved torturously slow. I clenched around him when he lifted his hips to pull out, and then pushed himself inside of my heat again.

I could've gone on like this for hours – savoring, enjoying. But Jacob only continued for a few minutes before deciding it wasn't enough. His hands grasped my waist and he broke our kiss to dip his head down and suck on my chest. He moved slowly still, but pushed his hips into me with more force on each thrust. I cried out at the double sensations and bit his shoulder.

"That's it baby," he crooned.

His voice was deep and husky and my eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of my release. My legs tightened around his waist and he hit a spot even deeper inside my walls.

"Oh…Jake! Jacob, Jacob…"

My hips bucked into his as the coil in my stomach snapped and my body shook with release. Jacob grunted and I felt his cock twitch before he spilled his seed inside of me. He stayed there, laying on top of me, and buried his head in the crook of my neck.

I waited until he pulled out and cuddled me to his side to say that words that had been eating away at me all day.

"I love you."

Jacob cupped my chin in his hands, kissed me, and smiled.

"I love you more."

We stayed on the beach for a little while longer, until the heat from the sun faded and the evening breeze of fall left my skin chilled.

We went back to Jacob's apartment and ordered in. We cuddled on the couch and ate from the cartons while we watched a movie. It was a quiet night, and we didn't venture into serious conversation territory again.

It was almost as if some sort of understanding had passed between us. Yes, the makeup sex was mind blowing and neither of us was upset with the other any longer, but it was more than that. I couldn't put my finger on it but I was glad that it was there.

I spent the next few days exploring my options for colleges in Forks and pondering Jacob's offer. We feel into an easy routine, the two of us. In the mornings, Jacob would leave for work, or sleep in with me and then leave later for work, and spend most of his days with the crew. I did my research on schools and made a few appointments to travel to colleges and see what was available. I had three left on my list by Thursday night.

Jacob and I were getting ready for bed when he told me he had to go away for the weekend.

"For what?" I hadn't heard anything about this weekend trip.

He flopped down beside me on the bed and rolled onto his stomach. "A three day tournament. It's in Sacramento."

"California?"

"Yeah. We leave tomorrow morning and it'll take us the whole day to drive down. Then Saturday and Sunday are the races. After that we come home either Monday morning or Monday night."

"When did you find out about this?"

Jake shrugged. "We sign up for these things all the time. I usually don't remember half the shit we're supposed to do, though. That's why Leah's in charge," he laughed.

I frowned. "Well, alright."

Jake leaned up and cocked his head at my expression. "What's the matter? I'm sorry, Bells, she reminded us all this morning. I gotta write these things down or something. I swear next time we have to pack I'll give you an advance notice."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't that why you're upset?" He asked, confused.

"No…Jake, I-"

"Oh, shit! I probably should've like…asked or something. I mean, you can come, right?"

I laughed and ran my fingers through his hair. "I have two college interviews scheduled; one for Friday and one for Saturday."

"Fuck, are you serious?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, I…well what if-"

"Jake, it's fine. I don't mind staying around here. You have to work."

He sighed and laid his head on my lap. "That's why this 'job' is so hard sometimes. Me and the guys are so used to just picking up and leaving. When Quil had Claire we kind of got the sense of 'okay, we need some sort of schedule', but he works that out with Sue and he gets a lot of help with his daughter. I'm used to just going wherever we have to go whenever we gotta be there. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry; it's not a big deal. We met when you were on one of those trips, so I can't exactly complain," I smiled.

"Good point. That's such a bummer though; I wanted you there with us."

"Who's racing?"

"Me and Leah. All the guys are coming except Sam and Quil. Sam's taking a break and Quil wants to stick this one out and spend some time with Claire."

"I'll watch you on TV," I promised with a kiss.

Jake sighed. "Alright. Are you sure there's no way you can reschedule the interviews?" He asked.

"I really shouldn't."

"Okay. So watch me on TV. Oh! And you just reminded me. Rosalie has photographers following us around there, too. For the rally race down to L.A., the producers want to do a first episode of a profile of each team. They're going to take some footage of us racing, but since a few of our guys will be missing, we're going to schedule a full photo-shoot and interviews and all of that. I'll make sure to tell you when that is because you definitely have to be there then."

"I do? Why?"

"Because you're gonna be one of our teammates." He rolled his eyes. "Duh."

**A/N: So...leave me some love! I'm kinda so so on this chapter so I'd really love to hear your thoughts!**

**Was Jacob right to be upset? Why was Leah involved? Should Bella move in with Jake? Did you like that she said I love you first? Should it matter who says I love you first in a relationship? Is it too soon for I love you's? What is the weekend apart going to be like?**

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	27. Pretty Girls

**I realize I haven't updated in over 2 weeks...so let's just get right to the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the lyrics to the song this chapter was titled after.  
This chapter was beta'd by bluebaby.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 27 _Pretty Girls  
There's a lot of pretty girls  
In this city,  
There's a lot of pretty girls  
In this town.  
I'm tryna pick the right one;  
A shorty to hold me down._

I tightened my sweater around myself and leaned against the doorframe. Paul pulled down the door at the back of the trailer where he and Brady had just loaded two of the cars Leah and Jacob would race.

The guys slammed their doors shut and got in. All of the engines started made the ground underneath us rumble. Brady hoped into the passenger's seat of the trailer, while Embry, Jared and Colin got in two of the other cars. Leah got in the passenger seat of Seth's car.

Rachel meandered over to Paul; she had dropped him off at Jacob's apartment – in Paul's bugatti veyron, none the less. Jake sprinted up the steps in long leaps to the doorway where I was leaning. His hair was windblown and messy, and his body was dusted with the mist that clouded the air this particular mourning.

"I'll see you Monday, okay? Don't have too much fun without me," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll try."

He cupped my chin in one large hand and kissed me. Jared rolled down his window and whistled, but we ignored him. It could have been directed at Rachel and Paul for all I knew.

I wrapped my arms around Jake and tucked my face into his shoulder. He hugged me tightly to his chest which made my toes creep up off the ground. He kissed me once more before he had to leave.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too." It felt so natural. Nothing out of the ordinary. Genuine.

He waved again when he was down the driveway and then got in his car. The seven of them drove off single file down the street as Rachel and I watched.

Once they were out of sight, Rachel hopped up the steps and joined me in the house. "Do you want some coffee or tea or anything?" I asked.

I started a pot on the kitchen counter while Rachel yawned and leaned her body over the island. "No…excuse me." Her yawn was contagious and I found myself doing the same. "Sorry," she laughed. "Paul kept me up _all_ last night. You'd think he was leaving for a month, and not a weekend. Did you- wait, never mind. I forgot you're with my brother, and in that case, I'd like to be ignorant."

I chuckled. "Well, I need coffee. I have college interviews scheduled."

"Oh yeah?" Rachel perked up and looked at me. "Where at?"

"The community college in Forks and the University of Washington in Seattle."

"That's great! You're transferring?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "I want to explore my options."

"Ah, I see," she smirked. "Well, hey, thanks but I'm gonna run home and get to that nap. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Rachel."

I sat in the kitchen, savored my coffee, and then made the trek from Jacob's apartment to my father's house. He wasn't home, but I dug out the proper interview attire from the back of my closet. I must've only worn these slacks once or twice, but I was glad they were there.

The campus at the community college was about the same as the college I attended in Florida -small, but sufficient enough to hold a decent amount of students. There weren't any dorms, but it was close enough to home that living there wouldn't be necessary. The classes matched up pretty well with the credits I needed to complete my degree. It would take me about a year to finish. The admission's counselor assured me they would love to have a student like me, and I would enjoy my time there.

By noon time, I was pulling into the driveway of Charlie's house and ready for a relaxing afternoon. I had slipped off my shirt and was in the process of tugging down the uncomfortable slacks when my cell phone rang. I lunged for it while I still had one ankle covered in pant leg.

"Hello?" I answered, rather breathlessly.

"Hey Bells."

"Jake? Hi! I wasn't expecting a call from you."

"Did I interrupt?"

"No, no, I actually just got home."

"Oh, perfect. You're at the apartment?" He asked.

"No, my father's house. I had all my clothes here, so it's just easier," I admitted.

"But…you're gonna stay at the apartment while I'm gone this weekend, right?"

"Why would I stay there?"

"Uh, I don't know. Let me call you right back."

It was only two minutes before my phone rang again- Jacob. "Hey, look, can you do me a favor? I really hate to ask this of you, but I forgot the phone number of my contact down in Sacremento. I need to call him to…get some details."

"Sure, but how can I help?"

"I have a rolodex in the office at my apartment with all my important numbers in it. Is it too much trouble to ask you to go there and call me back with the number?"

I grabbed a pair of jeans out from my bottom drawer and hoisted them up my legs while shrugging the phone between my ear and shoulder.

"Okay, sure."

"Perfect! Thanks so much, baby."

"I'll call you later when I shoot over there."

"Um…," Jake hesitated. "What time will that be?"

I glanced at the clock before answering. "I'm not sure. My plans were to get something to eat and then do some laundry at my father's house. I can probably be there in a few hours."

"Do you think…could you go now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry," he continued, "I just really need this number. This guy is expecting my call. Leah might chop my balls off if I mess this up."

I laughed. Then frowned. That wasn't exactly a place I wanted Leah to be anywhere close to.

"Alright; I just have to put a shirt on and I'll leave right now."

It was quiet for a beat. "You're not wearing a shirt?"

I snorted. "I'll call you in a few."

"Sure, sure. Thanks, baby."

I skipped the laundry and grabbed some food on the go on my way to Jacob's apartment. It seemed oddly quiet, and I felt a little weird snooping around his office, even though he'd asked me too.

I found the rolodex on one corner of the desk and then realized I had no idea whose number I was supposed to be looking for. I sighed and fished out my phone from my pocket.

When I was connected and the ringing stopped, all I heard was wind and loud blaring music. "Hello? Jake?"

"Hey, Bella!" He answered once I could hear clearly.

"What was that?"

He groaned. "That was Embry's horrible taste in music."

"When I'm driving, I get to pick what I want to listen to. We agreed, Jake!" I heard Embry called. Jake snorted.

"Are you at the apartment yet?"

"Yes," I started, "what's the name of the person?"

"The name of what person?"

I shook my head and laughed. "The person whose phone number I am currently supposed to be finding?"

"Oh, right! Um..Rex."

"Rex?"

"Yeah, yeah. Listen, I gotta go before Embry's puts on more Miley Cyrus."

"Embry listens to-"

"I don't listen to Miley Cyrus, Bella! Jake, you idiot!" I heard Jacob's loud belly laughter and forgot to get the last name of the person before we hung up. Well, how many people named Rex could be in his rolodex?

Apparently, none.

I was about to go through it a second time when the doorbell rang. It startled me and I banged my knee against the large, wooden desk. Who was at the door of Jake's apartment?

None of the crew was around – except for Sam, who I couldn't imagine showing up to see me, and Quil, who was taking Claire out on some father-daughter trip for the day. Billy knew Jacob was away, too. I was hesitant to answer the door. Sure, I was a grown woman, but who in the hell could it possibly be?

I snuck to the front door, avoiding being seen in the windows. There was no peephole on the door. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to just open it a little and see who the visitor was.

I pulled out the door only an inch.

The first thing I saw was a flash of blonde hair.

If Jacob had some tramp coming to visit him I was going to-

"You gonna open the door or stand there stare at me for an hour?"

I swung the door open. "Rosalie?"

Her hand was cocked on her hip and she had a large suitcase behind her. "No, it's the Easter Bunny."

"Oh my God! What are you doing here? It's so good to see you? When did you get in?" I leaped through the doorway and hugged her.

Her smiled spread wider as I led her into the house. "Nice place," she smirked.

"Thanks; it's Jak-wait a minute. How did you know where Jake lived?"

She laughed, set her bag by the door, and took off her sweater. "Jacob gave me the address."

"He knew you were coming?"

"He invited me," she explained. "When he found out you couldn't go to California with him for the races he called me and said he would fly me out so we could see each other and spend a girl's weekend together."

"He did?" I said, my heart instantly warming at my boyfriend's thoughtfulness.

"Yes," Rosalie stated matter-of-factly. "And you almost ruined it by not being here."

"Is that why he made me come over here and look for some non-existent contact in his office?"

"Actually, that was my idea. He called me in a panic while I was at the airport and asked how the hell I could get you to his house. Believe me, his excuse was much worse."

"It's so good to see you, Rose! This is so awesome!" I hugged her again before giving her a tour of the first floor of the house.

"So you live here?" She asked.

"Not really, no. I mean, I stay over here a lot, but I don't live here, live here."

"Right – 'cause that makes perfect sense."

I ignored her. "How are you and Emmett?"

A shy smile spread on Rosalie's face and she blushed. I'd never seen that reaction from her before. "We're good."

"Oh yeah?" I teased.

"Yeah. Oh, I met Carlisle and Esme."

"Ugh. You did?"

She cocked her head and looked at me. "What do you mean? They're wonderful people."

"Yeah, they are. Well, unless you break up with their prodigy son for no apparent reason."

"O-kay…"

"Long story. I don't want to ruin all this excitement that you're actually in Washington! Oh my god, is it your first time here?"

"Yes-and it's freezing!"

I chuckled. "That's just because you've never lived anywhere except Florida your whole life."

"Well excuse me for liking the beach," she laughed.

I threw something together for lunch and let Rosalie get settled in the guest bedroom upstairs. I was excited at the prospect of spending the weekend with my best friend from home and showing her what my life was like in Washington.

We ate and lounged on the couch to catch up. Rosalie told me about her first impressions of Carlisle and Esme and I tried to push away my own more recent feelings about them and be happy for her.

Jacob called me a little while later – a sneaky way to try and find out if his plan had gone off without a hitch.

"Jacob – I was just about to call you!" I answered the phone.

"Yeah?" He asked. I heard the anticipation in his voice.

"Yes- I can't seem to find anyone named Rex in your rolodex. I've been searching your house for hours since we last spoke."

"You…you are?" His voice wavered. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh."

"Oh…that's…uh, weird…has anyone been-"

"I can't believe you flew Rosalie to Washington!" I screeched out before I could torture him anymore.

I could hear the relief in his voice. "Oh you saw…she's there?"

"Yes, she's here Jacob; I'm just fucking with you."

"Thanks," he laughed. "Were you surprised, baby?"

"Yes! I had no clue! This was so nice of you, thank you."

"I'm glad you're happy, baby."

"I am."

"Good. Well, we're about three hours away from Sacremento. So I'll send you a text when we get there, but have fun, alright Bells?"

"We will. Thanks, Jacob."

"You're welcome. Love you, Bells."

I smiled and my teeth found there way into my bottom lip. It was so cute when he said that.

"Love you, too."

Rosalie was looking at me expectantly when I snapped the phone shut. "Um, 'I love you'? When did that happen?"

"Tuesday."

"Wow, look at you." I may have let a school-girl giggle slip. Rosalie laughed as well. "You seem happy here, Bella."

I leaned my head against the back of the couch. "I am."

"I meant it, really. You're a lot different than when I first met you; when you were dating Edward."

I perked up, interested in hearing her explanation. "How so?"

"I don't know," Rosalie sighed, "it's hard to explain, exactly. You just seem more…lively."

"Lively? What was I dead before?"

"No," she snorted. "I don't mean it like that. You just seem happier and freer and less stressed out. It's a good thing, though."

"If you say so."

"So what are we doing this weekend?" Rosalie asked excitedly.

"I don't know," I laughed. "I have an interview tomorrow at ten, but after that I'm free to do whatever."

"An interview? For what?"

"I'm going to look at U-Dub. I might be transferring my college credits."

Rosalie's eyes bugged out. "You're moving here? For good?"

"Oh, did I not mention that to you?" I joked. She wasn't impressed. "To be honest, I still can't decide. I mean, if I can get into a good college here and find some type of job…I have my father here, and Jacob's here…"

Rosalie looked thoughtful. "What?" I asked her.

"I don't know. I want to say that you shouldn't be rash and move across the country just to be closer to some guy you've been dating for a few months. But then again, it's not like you're leaving behind anything big in Florida. I don't know."

"Well, I don't know either. I do know that I really care about Jacob, though. And living thousands of miles apart probably would mean we can't see each other. And I'm not sure I'm the ideal candidate for a long distance relationship. For example, imagine you flew here without Emmett and now you have to stay here."

She frowned.

"My point exactly."

"But that's different!" She insisted.

"Why? You've been dating him the same amount of time I've been seeing Jacob!"

"Well…damn, okay. I see your point. Emmett and I already live in the same town, though," she started. Upon seeing my expression, she changed her argument. "Look, I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass, Bella, I promise. I'm just looking out for you. And I do love Jacob-I've spent a lot of time with him and his crew and he seems like a great guy. I don't have any reason I could tell you to come back to Florida. Except that I'll miss you!"

Rosalie and I debated the pros and cons of me moving before we got distracted.

"Let's go out!" Rosalie said.

"Where?"

"I don't know – show me the best night spots Washington has to offer!"

"Uh, okay."

I looked up a club in Seattle that I remembered some of my friends talking about in college. Rosalie let me rummage through her suitcases since all my 'going out' clothes were stashed at Charlie's.

A flash of gold caught my eye and I lifted it from the neatly folded pile. It was a short dress, with thick straps and a top piece made of shiny, gold material. The bottom looked like leather, and it was clingy. I smirked, stripped down, and pulled the dress over my head.

"Zip the back for me?" I asked Rosalie.

She spun around to look and squealed while zipping up the back. "Oh my god, Bella you _have_ to wear that."

I turned around to look in the full length mirror and skimmed my hands down my sides, adjusting the dress so it sat right on me. "Do you have gold heels?"

"Yes!" Rosalie opened a medium sized suitcase – shoes. She handed me high-heeled strappy gold-flecked sandals and two big gold bangles for my wrist. "Perfect. Now," she started, "look what I was planning on wearing."

Rosalie held out the dress she had placed on the bed. It was the same dress; the top part made of a silver color instead of gold. "Wear it," I encouraged. She added silver hoop earrings, silver stilettos and a sterling silver bracelet.

I led Rosalie down to the garage and grabbed the keys to Jacob's Lexus. Rosalie stopped short in her tracks once she saw the fleet of cars and I thought she was going to fall down the last two steps.

"I am so jealous of you right now."

I threw my head back in laughter and tossed her the keys. Her eyes widened and she stared at me. "Are you serious? Will Jacob be mad?"

I shrugged. "Just don't crash."

We got to the club in one piece; it was crowded, so Rosalie assumed it was already amazing. We got past the bouncer without paying a penny, thanks to Rosalie and her stellar good looks and charm. The theme inside the club was blue- all the lights were blue. The bar and shelves were made of glass and it looked like the whole thing was made of ice. Everything was backlight in blue.

The DJ was lifted off the main floor and up in some sort of a loft, and on the opposite side was a loft deemed the V.I.P. section. We ordered shots from the bar to get the night started.

"What the fuck was that?" Rosalie couched after swallowing down the strong liquid. "That needs a chaser!"

We took a few more before making a space for ourselves on the blue-lit dance floor. We danced next to each other, I danced in front of her, behind her; we danced with each other and on each other. We took a break every two or three songs to get drinks and make sure we weren't sweating our makeup off.

Any guy that was looking must have been too intimidated to come over to us. Rosalie got a few leery glances, but she ignored them all.

I slammed another empty slot glass on the table and laughed, loudly.

"One of us has to stay sober," Rosalie stated, clearly already three-quarters of the way to completely inebriated.

"Too late," I giggled.

"Bella! You've got to drive!"

"Oops."

"Nice going."

Rosalie pouted for two seconds before her favorite song came on and she dragged me by the forearm to dance with her. Some girl bumped into Rosalie's back while she was dancing. I saw her face change and knew instantly to grab her and get her distracted before she started a fight. The only problem was that my reflexes were too slow.

"Rose-"

"What the fu-oh my god, are you getting married?"

Huh?

I turned to look at Rosalie's victim – a pretty brunette in a white halter dress with a short veil headpiece. She had oddly shaped confetti stuck to her dress. I cocked my head to figure out what shape it was in…and then fell into a laughing fit when it clicked.

Bachelorette party.

"Tomorrow!" The brunette shrieked.

Ouch. Her voice made my head hurt. Rosalie leaped toward her awkwardly and enfolded her arms around the girls shoulders in what I think was supposed to be a hug.

"Round of shots on me!" Rosalie insisted.

We drank, we laughed, we told embarrassing stories, and we watched the bride grind on random, all-to-willing guys, and then sob about how it was her last night to be single.

Rosalie and I took that as our cue to leave.

We sauntered outside, taking slow steps around in the parking lot.

"What now?" Rosalie asked. One bright streetlight illuminated the parking lot and the street in front of us. "I think we need a cab."

So Jacob's car would have to stay…here. Wherever here was. How did we get here again?

Rosalie managed to get us a ride and we sloppily slid in the backseat and directed the driver to take us to the nearest hotel.

"Jacob's gonna kill me," I muttered.

"He won't kill you." Rosalie patted my leg. "He loves you."

"Oh yeah – he does."

"You should marry him."

"I should?" I smiled lazily, daydreaming about that concept.

"Yes," Rosalie confirmed, "you should. That way we can dress you up in the sluttiest white dress we can find and throw some penis confetti on you."

"You're such a good friend, Rose."

"I know."

The next morning was not kind to either of us. It was rainy and windy, our dresses were wrinkled, our makeup was smudged, and it was before nine.

"Shit!" I yelled when my mind connected with the rest of my body. "I have that college interview! I don't have time to go change!"

I ran around the room in a panic until Rosalie finally grumbled and got out of bed. "I'll be right back. Take a shower," she instructed.

When Rosalie came back, she pulled my hair into a half-updo and handed me a business looking black jacket to throw over my dress that she bought from the gift shop downstairs. We scavenged through our purses and found enough touch-up makeup for my face.

My phone battery was extremely low, and it only let me read my messages and look at any missed calls; there wasn't enough power to reply to any of them. I read Jacob's text that he arrived safely in Cali, and then my phone powered down.

I nervously went to look at the University of Washington while Rosalie tracked down Jake's car and planned to pick me up in an hour.

The University of Washington was a little different. It was located in Seattle, which was a further trek than community college. It was bigger and much more populated than the previous school. I thought of students I went to high school with who had done their four years at this university. Tuition was a bit more expensive, though, and not all of my credits would transfer equally. I flashbacked to when I graduated high school, and this college was one of the universities on my list. I'd decided to go to a shorter-term school in Port Angeles once I'd graduated, though.

By the time I was finished, Rosalie knew her way around Seattle. She'd found the mall, and had spent most of her time there.

"How did it go?" She asked on our drive home.

I shrugged. "It went well; I don't know if I'd ever go here, though. The commute would be horrendous."

"True. Have you looked at schools online?"

"I checked out a few."

"You should try them. I had to take a few classes to help me out once I got my job, and I did them online. You can do it after work, or before work, or whenever you plan it out. If you have questions they have chat rooms where you can talk with professors or other students. It's a lot more convenient than having classes every day."

"Good point."

When we got back to Jacob's apartment, I plugged my phone in and took a nap on the couch. I was not used to those late nights. Rosalie showered and found something to eat while I rested.

"Bella!"

I rolled over and rubbed my eyes. "What?"

Rosalie was standing a foot in front of me, chewing on her lunch with a sandwich in one hand and my cell phone in her other hand. She held it out to me. "Phone."

Assuming it was Jacob, I didn't care that my voice still had that groggy tone to it. "Hello?"

"Hi Bella, this is Rachel."

I sat up and cleared my throat. "Oh, hey Rachel. What's up?"

"Are you coming to watch the races with us?"

"Uh…what do you mean?"

"My dad likes to watch the competitions that he can't go to on TV. The rest of the crew is here- Sam and Sue and Harry. Quil should be stopping by soon with Claire. And, oh! Your father's here-he gave me your number."

"Oh…sure, that sounds like fun."

"Great. We'll see you in a little bit."

Rose sat on the couch beside me and polished off her sandwich. "Ready to meet the family?"

I threw on a pair of leggings and a short sleeve sweater top that was in my overnight bag, still stashed at Jake's. I tightened my hair into a ponytail and waited for Rosalie.

Fortunately, Jacob's father's house was only minutes from his apartment, so we got there just after the races were started. My father and Billy were seated in front of the television with a few other people scattered across the living room. I recognized Leah's mother, but not the man sitting next to her.

"Bells! You made it!" My father pushed himself up from the couch to say hello. I stepped aside and introduced Rosalie.

"Hi Dad. This is my friend Rosalie, from Florida." Rosalie held out her dainty hand.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Swan," she said sweetly.

My jaw dropped – my father blushed! "Please, call me Charlie."

Rachel appeared out from the kitchen and gave me a hug. I introduced her and everyone else to Rosalie. I also was introduced to Harry, Leah's father. He seemed kind of gruff and not interested in anything else but the television screen. Sam, on the other hand, seemed very interested in Rosalie. I caught him leering at Rose a few times from the corner of my eye. I didn't like it.

We lounged and chatted and waited for Jacob and Leah's matches. When they did, the room burst into cheers and laughter.

Jake won the first few races, and Leah beat out all her opponents. Seeing them onscreen was…odd. It was exciting, but almost didn't seem real. I spent time with him, I touched him, I slept in the same bed as the man I was watching on television.

There were an extra amount of camera flashes when the Black and Clearwater team was up. Men and women with large cameras that weren't broadcasting the races on television were taking live clips and videos, for press, I learned. They also drew the biggest crowd, as proven when three-quarters of the bleachers stood up in applause during their matches.

Rachel slid down onto the floor, next to Rosalie and I, with a glass of water. I heard the squares of ice clink against the glass and looked up as she was sitting down.

"This is kind of nice," she commented and looked around at the crowd of family and friends gathered in her father's living room. I agreed. "You know, I've never actually watched Jacob race before."

"Really?"

"Really," she nodded. "I mean, of course I watched them all fool around when we were kids. But I've never watched any of the crew actually race professionally. It's pretty cool."

"It is. Have you ever been to a race in person?" I asked.

"Not one like this," Rachel answered, her gaze turning back to the screen where Leah was getting set for her last qualifying match.

"You have to go!" Rosalie interrupted. "It's so much fun!" She gushed. Rachel laughed at her enthusiasm and agreed she would definitely have to make a trip to the track someday soon.

The three of us jumped when we heard a loud thud. Our heads turned in the direction of the sound.

"What the fuck is going on?" Sam growled, red in the face, eyes glued to the television screen. He threw his beer at the floor where the few sips that were left fizzled and soaked into the carpet. "What the hell is she doing; who the _fuck _is that?"

Billy cleared his throat and attempted to calm Sam down – it didn't work. I glanced at the television screen: Leah's car was stopped, only a few hundred feet away from the start line. The other driver had completed his lap minutes ago. Leah's car stalled. She was being assisted in climbing out the window of the car by a tall man- not one of the crew. His face and half his upper body was covered in a shadow, so his features were unclear. He was tall and thin and Leah was smiling up at him. Her body language showed she clearly was familiar with him; he wasn't some stranger.

Sam was not happy.

Billy started again. "Now, Sam-"

"Fuck! I can't believe her! That-"

"You really have no right, Sam," Billy said sternly and loudly, surprising all of us. I heard a snort come from the man sitting next to Sue.

"Mind your own business Billy," the man said.

"This is my house and this is my business. Sam, you better be leaving if this is going to be your behavior. This is my house and you are to have respect. You can't do whatever you like and expect people to be wholeheartedly devoted to you at the same time."

Confused, I watched the conversation while sitting in silence awkwardly like the rest of us.

"Billy, stop meddling in other people's business. To be fair, I don't like her behavior either. It's a bit ridiculous."

Billy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't start with me now Harry."

Sam kicked the beer can and thrust his arm out to the screen. The mystery man now was leading Leah gently away from the car with his arm around her waist. The crew crowded around the car and set to work on diagnosing the malfunction and pushing it off the track. "This is bullshit!"

"That's it!" Billy said. "Leave, Sam."

Sam got up in a huff and slammed the door behind him, mumbling and cursing the whole way out. We heard his car door open and slam, and then the squealing of tires as he sped away.

Harry mumbled under his breath a few times, comments directed at Billy, but Sue hushed him. I looked at my father, who sipped his beer silently and pretended to be completely engrossed in the races. Rachel stood up and collected the discarded beer can and sopped up the mess with a wad of paper towels.

We left shortly after that; Leah didn't make it past the qualifiers and Jake landed in the top twelve for the night. The finals would be tomorrow, and then the crew would come home on Monday.

I helped Leah get settled in the guest bedroom once we were back at Jake's apartment and I showed her where everything was. Once I was showered and dressed for bed, I sat cross legged on Rosalie's bed while she typed and clicked away on her laptop.

My mind was consumed with all the possibilities of what happened with Sam today were. Why did he react like that? And what did Billy and Harry mean by what they said? I wondered if Rachel knew, or if Jacob would know.

"Um, Bella?"

I sat up a little and rested on my elbows. "What's up?" I asked Rose. She tentatively peered over the screen of her laptop.

"I got the pictures back from the photographers at the races today…"

"Already? Wow, they don't waste time."

"Well, I hire only the best," she said, with a half-hearted laugh. I could tell something was wrong. I frowned.

"They didn't come out good?"

"No, no…they came out fine. I'm just not sure I like the content of them."

"…Meaning?"

"Meaning…" she cleared her throat, "there's quite of few of Leah and Jake."

I fell back onto the bed. "Okay…shouldn't there be? I mean, they are the main drivers, after all."

"Uh huh. But, they're not driving in any of these."

"They're friends, Rose," I said with a roll of my eyes. "I've been over this with Jacob already, and I trust him. So just disregard whatever fantasy you're conjuring up in that overactive brain of yours."

"Are-you're sure you don't want to look at them?"

"Why? Are they making out or something?"

"No!" she insisted. "Nothing like that."

"Okay. Then, no, I don't want to see them." I kind of did. I wanted to look strong though, and not jealous. After all, they were friends. And looking at the photos would only stir up unnecessary thoughts and ideas. I didn't need any of that in my head right now. Besides, Leah had a mystery man at the races.

We chatted for a few more minutes before Rosalie got a call from Emmett and I left her alone in her room. I snuggled in Jacob's bed, curling my arms around a pillow that smelled like Jacob. One more night and he would be here with me.

**Review ! I'd love to know what you all think: Any ideas on Bella's continuing education? Is it too soon for her to move to WA- is Rosalie right? Did anyone guess that Rosalie was the surprise guest (for those of you who read the sneak peak on twitter)? What was up with Sam's reaction? Who was the mystery man at the races with Leah? And what was in the pictures that Rosalie got?**

**If you found this fic from TwiNet, please let me know :)**

**Follow me on Twitter J_Benz1 for updates, teasers, and sneak peaks.**

**ALSO: I have decided there will be two outtake fics that branch off from this story. A Rosalie/Emmett and a Leah/Sam. Maybe more if inspiration strikes. The R/E fic (Short Story) is completed, and the S/L will be written soon. Most likely they will be posted after GGGB is finished. Put me on author alert if you're interested in being notified when those are posted.**

**One more quick thing- I'm looking for a beta to help finish editing the chapters for the rest of this fic, and possibly more in the future, if interested. You can send me a PM on or a DM on Twitter. :)**


	28. Promise

**Sorry I've been MIA for so long. RL has been work, work, work.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and love so far :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the song or lyrics this chapter was titled after.  
This chapter was beta'd by the fabulous michasmoonbeam. **

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 28 _Promise  
Open my heart,  
Give it to you.  
Tell the whole world  
That I'm in love with you.  
Whatever you want,  
Baby I'll do.  
I know I don't want nobody else but you._

Monday night I went to sleep alone. Tuesday morning I woke up next to Jacob.

He was passed out, fully clothed with limbs strewn across the sheets. My stomach flooded with butterflies and my front teeth bit into my bottom lip. I debated on if I should wake him up or not.

I was too excited to let him sleep, and I hadn't heard him get in last night. I poked him and tried to lightly shake him awake – nothing.

So, I crawled out of bed, wrapped myself in a white and blue furry robe – courtesy of shopping with Rose – and quietly padded downstairs to the kitchen in search of something I knew would wake him up.

I started to make breakfast: I fried some bacon up in a pan and scrambled some eggs also. I got on a step stool to reach the high cabinets and found some pancake mix, too. There wasn't much left, but I dumped it all in a bowl to make a stack of flapjacks. I set them out on a nice tray and added maple syrup on the side as well as butter, with two glasses of orange juice.

It took me ten minutes to get up the staircase. With no railing, and only one wall on the side, I took my sweet time and moseyed up step by step while delicately holding the tray.

I squeaked in surprise outside the bedroom door when I practically bumped into Jacob. The dishes rattled and I steadied them so nothing would land on the floor.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, while ducking his head in embarrassment and sleepily rubbing the back of his neck.

"I didn't know you were awake."

Jake blushed. "I smelt bacon."

I laughed and neatly set the tray down atop the bed. Jacob sat up against the headboard and I sat cross legged across from him.

"How was your trip? I didn't hear you come in last night."

Jake popped a forkful of pancake in his mouth and swallowed before speaking. "It went pretty well. We got in real late, maybe three in the morning. I didn't want to wake you up. Did you have fun with Rosalie?"

"Yes! It was nice to have her here. Thanks for letting us use your apartment."

He leaned forward and pecked me on the lips. "I missed you," he said sweetly. "Let me take you out tonight," he added.

"Where?"

"On a date. We've been on one date, Bella."

I laughed at the absurdity of his statement. It was kind of true – the only date we went on alone was our first in Florida – yet I was already practically living with him and seriously considering moving across the country to stay with him.

"I'd like that," I answered.

Jacob told me more about his trip while we finished breakfast. I didn't notice any suspicious mention of Leah, or any indication of a mystery man that was with her. I decided not to bring up the pictures, since I never actually did see them myself. And I didn't mention a word about Sam's freak out while watching the races. I knew the strain already on the two boys' relationship and besides, it really wasn't my business.

After making love in the bed, then fooling around again in the shower, it was afternoon. Jacob headed to the garage to catch up on the work the crew had put off while they were away. I booted up my laptop I had stored at his apartment and narrowed down my school search to one on campus and one online program. Then, I job hunted and hypothetically set up a budget to see if it was even possible for me to survive in Forks.

It was a productive day, but I found that time flew by and soon it was time to get ready for dinner with Jacob.

I borrowed one of his cars to drive back to Charlie's so I could get ready. I pulled a leopard print cardigan from the bottom of my dresser. It was something my mom Renee sent me while I was living in Forks during high school that I never wore. I matched it with black skinny jeans and heels, and added some metallic jewelry. Since I was early, I decided to play with my hairstyle as well. I pinned the mane into a tight bun and braided some pieces in the front before pinning them back as well.

Charlie came home at six, surprised to see me there. "Hey, Bella! What are you doing here?"

I laughed and hugged him, surprising him again. "I was getting ready for a date with Jacob."

"Fancy. Well, you look nice, Bells. I hope you have a good time. Should I expect you home after?"

My face flushed red and I fixed my eyes on anything but my father, even though at 23 years old I had nothing to be embarrassed about. "Probably not," I muttered.

Charlie shuffled by me towards the microwave to heat up some frozen leftovers. He huffed quietly but didn't say anything. I don't think he cared, but he probably would've liked to remain as naive as possible concerning his only daughter's sex life.

I was fidgeting downstairs on the living room sofa at 6:59. Charlie eyed me suspiciously and then went back to scarfing down his dinner while watching whatever sporting even was holding his attention tonight. Seven o'clock came and went and yet there was no knock on the door. Jacob did know I was at my father's house; I had reminded him twice earlier in the day.

I jumped off the couch and sprinted to the door, slightly twisting my ankle in the process since I forgot I was wearing heels, when Jacob finally arrived at 7:12. It wasn't that I minded his lateness, I was simply so used to never having extra time to get ready.

I watched Jacob's eyes sweep down my body and back up before he acknowledged me with a hello. He let out a gush of air and pulled me tightly to him in a hug. He had cologne on, I could tell, but the clean, crisp scent still couldn't completely cover the hint of grease and musk that Jacob always carried around.

"You look fucking amazing."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, pulled out of his embrace, and slung my purse over my shoulder. "Thanks. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, uh, I just have to stop at the garage and switch cars. Seth was waxing the Maserati for me; he started this morning. I don't know why it's taking so long, but anyway…yeah, let's go."

"Bye Dad!" I called out before shutting the front door behind us and skipping down the front steps.

Jake smacked himself on the forehead. "Your Dad's there? I should have said hello!" He stilled, looking stuck in between going back inside or going to the car.

"You can tell him later," I urged, leading us both toward the car.

Jake pulled out of the drive and we merged onto the highway that would take us to the garage where we would switch cars.

"So you managed without me this weekend?" He asked with a wink.

"Yes," I snorted.

"Good, I know you did," he commented. "It made me think though…do you think if we…if I…"

I watched on patiently while Jacob tried to find the right words to express whatever he was trying to say. "With my job, besides the garage, the traveling I mean…do you think it would cause a problem with us? For instance, when I have to go on extended trips and stuff, which is kind of often, do you think we could still be together?"

"Why are you asking that?" I asked quietly, not exactly sure where he was going with this topic.

"With our…relationship. Would you be willing to still be with me even if I have to travel a lot? I'd love to have you travel with the crew and I every time; and I promise you that you wouldn't have to worry about working or money or anything because I'd take care of you. But I also know that you want to finish school and everything, and with me traveling, I was just wondering if it would be too much."

"How often do you travel?"

"Realistically?" He asked, ducking his head to the side in concentration. "It depends. We can have a few weeks straight just working at the garage, and then go to a race for a weekend or even up to a month, sometimes more if it's a big race. I just know how hard it is for Quil to be away from his daughter so much, for example, and I don't want my traveling to be the reason we don't work out."

I sighed. "Honestly, Jacob, I can't really answer that. I mean, you going away for the weekend or a few days for work obviously is necessary and doesn't bother me. I'd love to come with you too, but I can't go to everything if I have other responsibilities."

Jacob looked at me and his eyes looked panicked for a moment. I felt a tug at my heart strings and reached out to hold his hand. "I'm not saying we can't be together. I guess it will kind of be like a long distance relationship, at times. But I'll go with you to the races that I can, and we'll work it out on the ones that I can't. This weekend was fine – spending time apart isn't always a bad thing; sometimes I need a girl's night just like I'm sure you'll need time to spend with your crew. But I'm definitely committed to working it out if you are."

I saw his body visibly relax. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that. I was thinking about everything while I was away from you this weekend wondering if it would be too much for you. Bella, if you ask me too, I would cut back on the traveling. Colin's actually showing real promise and we're working with him to get his skills up to eventually compete on the drag strip. He may be able to headline some of the races and I can stay behind."

"Jake, no, I wouldn't ask you to do that. I wouldn't want to."

"It's always an option, though," he said.

"Well," I started, "I appreciate that, but I don't want you to do that. I think we can make it work just fine. I've been having a great time being with you."

Jacob smiled with a huge grin that reached his ears. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do," I responded genuinely.

"Me too, Bella. I've never had this with anybody; you really mean a lot to me."

I reached over to kiss him on the check just before we pulled up to the garage. It was starting to get dark, and only one lamp lit up the whole road. A dim light came from one of the rooms. Jacob docked the car in a parking spot within the garage, and he held my hand and led me to where the Maserati was.

There was a black car cover over it, and Jacob had to release my hand so that he could pull it off. Seth padded into the room and startled, looking surprised and slightly worried to see us. He recovered quickly though, too soon for me to read into his expression.

"Hey Jake. Hi, Bella."

"Hey, Seth. You have the keys?" Jake asked, looking up.

Seth fished around in his pocket before pulling out a keychain ring with one key on it and tossing it to Jake.

"Thanks man." Jacob went back to pulling off the car cover. My hand flew up to cover my open mouth when I saw what was underneath the tarp; Seth's handiwork was fully visible.

Seth was already leaning against the couch by the wall of the work room, trying his best to stifle laughter and a proud smirk.

A note written in sloppy handwriting was wedged between the windshield and the wipers of the car. Even though the words weren't too legible, the message was clear – do it in your own car.

Jacob laughed loudly when he opened the door and was faced with a wall of boxes of condoms. Seth had literally filled up the car, every inch possible, by stacking piles and piles of boxes of condoms onto the seats, the floor, and over the dash. There was no way we could get in unless we dug our way through the boxes and emptied the car.

Seth was now doubled over in laughter at our expense. He clearly did not appreciate our stunt in his Lamborghini. Jacob chuckled again, then took out one of the boxes and examined it for a moment before chucking it at Seth's head. It bumped his shoulder and landed in his lap.

"Thanks for the thoughtfulness, Seth, but I'm a magnum Trojan guy. Maybe you can get some use out of these smaller ones – then again, you probably won't go through all these in your whole lifetime."

"Ha, ha," Seth said sarcastically, flinging the box back at Jacob.

"Where did you get all these, anyway? The cashier must've thought you were some sick pervert."

"Yeah," Seth admitted sheepishly, "I think she did."

I snorted in laughter. Jake shut the door, tossed the keys back to Seth, and announced we'd take a different car tonight.

When we made it to the restaurant my stomach was growling because I was so hungry. We were seated in a corner booth in the back, dimly lit with only one flaming candle between us. I ordered coke and a shrimp and pasta dish, while Jacob ordered a beer and the steak.

"So, did you pick a school yet?" Jake asked between mouthfuls.

I nodded slowly. "Sort of. I narrowed it down to two in Washington if I were to transfer and move here."

"Oh. You haven't decided for sure yet?"

"No," I responded, "I think I've decided."

Jacob listened on with eager ears. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I said with a small smile. "I want to move up here."

"And you'll move in with me?"

I shrugged. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"Well, unless you want to stay with your dad, I don't think it makes sense for you to move here and get your own place. My apartment can fit the both of us, and you wouldn't have to worry about paying rent."

"I appreciate that Jacob, but…"

"Am I moving too fast here?" He asked. "We're pretty much already living together – which I like. And…I don't know how to say this."

"What?"

"I can see myself with you for the rest of my life, Bella. I know it really hasn't been a long time, but I really care about you."

His words momentarily took my breath away and my voice caught in my throat. How was I supposed to respond to that? The rational side of my brain told me it was too soon to know that, but my heart was agreeing with him.

I took a sip of my soda and leaned back in my chair. "What do you see when you think about your future five years from now?" I asked seriously.

Jake seemed to consider this for only a moment before he responded with a half shrug. "It's hard to say. I could be still be traveling, still working at the garage; or, I could see myself settling down a little and easing out of the drag racing and into more stationary work. Rosalie is opening up so many options for the team; we'll probably be set for life if we do all that she tells us. It really just depends on, you know, what happens and what the universe decides to send my way. Where do you see yourself in five years?"

I briefly remember what my five year plan looked like when I was with Edward – though that was drawn up mostly by him. Now, the slate had been wiped clean, but I still had a pretty good picture. "In five years I'll be almost thirty. So, by then I want to finish school and get some sort of job in business, or open up something of my own."

"What about kids?"

"I could…I mean, I never really thought about it." Edward had wanted kids, and he'd said so to me a few times while we were dating. Both of us decided we were too young to think about it, but I knew Edward had specifics in his head.

"I think I'd like to have kids. Two, at least. Maybe more. Does that scare you away?"

"Um, no. But I'd say that's at least a few years in my future," I told him.

"Yeah, definitely." Jake's phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. He looked at the caller ID and excused himself from the table.

Our waiter came and took away our empty dishes, offering dessert which I declined. I was full from the meal, but I was also eager to get back to Jacob's and spend more alone time with him. We still had catching up to do since he was away for a few days.

I was surprised by the direction of my own not-so-innocent thoughts these days. I wonder if this was the influence that Jacob was having on me, or if my mind would've wandered in a similar direction anyways if I stopped controlling it so much. I'd never felt like a sexual person before, but I'd become more comfortable in my own skin than I'd noticed.

Jacob came back to the table a few minutes later, after I'd gone to the restroom to freshen up, and picked up the bill on our way out. He looked distracted for a few minutes and kept typing in messages on his phone.

Quil called Jacob as soon as we got in the car. Jacob shot me an apologetic look before answering. I fished around with the radio before settling on a good station and hummed along with the song while he spoke to Quil.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the doorframe of the car, letting the earlier not-so-innocent thoughts consume my mind. I was glad no one could read minds, because otherwise I'd seriously be screwed.

The car stopped less than then minutes later. Did I fall asleep? I must've missed when Jake got off the phone, too, because when I glanced over at him he was sitting silently, cell phone tucked away.

"Sorry," I said with a soft smile. My smile fell when I looked around the outside of the car. Jake shut the engine and the sounds of the night crept in around us. We were in the driveway of Charlie's house. Weird.

"Oh. Do you want me to follow you back to the apartment with the other car?" I asked. I'd forgotten that I'd borrowed Jacob's car to get home and now two of his were at Charlie's house.

"No, no," Jake said. "It's okay. You can keep that while you're in Forks so you can get around and everything; I don't mind."

"Oh…kay," I said slowly. "Do you want to come in, then? Charlie's home, but…"

Jake shook his head. "Thanks, Bells; I would, but I really have to get going. I'm sorry; I have to take care of some things. I'll call you tomorrow afternoon, alright?"

My brows furrowed together in confusion. Did he not basically just ask me to move in with him at dinner? For the second time? And now this?

"Yeah. Sure."

I opened the door but Jacob held my other wrist before I could haul myself out of the low car. "Baby, don't be upset, please? I really just have to take care of something and help someone out, ok? If it's not too late I'll call when I'm done, but don't wait up. I love you." He leaned over and pecked me on the lips twice before pulling me closer to him and deepening the kiss.

"I'm not mad," I said quietly when we pulled apart. Our faces were still within centimeters of each other, and Jacob's lips ghosted over mine as he spoke.

"Okay. So I'll call you tomorrow."

"'Night."

"Goodnight Bells."

I walked up the front porch steps quietly and unlocked the door. Jacob started the car only once I was safely inside. Charlie startled in his lounge seat, his empty frozen dinner carton still on the table beside him.

"Bella?" He called, muting the television.

"Yeah, dad. It's me. I didn't mean to wake you up, I'm sorry. I'm just coming back from dinner."

Charlie stood up and brushed the crumbs off his shirt. "Oh. Did you have a good time?"

"Yes. It was nice."

"Oh. Well, good."

I pointed to the stairs, in effort to end this awkward conversation. "I'm headed to bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Dad."

""Night Bella." I crept up the stairs slowly and dressed in sweatpants once I was in my bedroom. I got into bed, but found that I wasn't even tired enough to consider lying down and closing my eyes. It was only ten thirty.

I pulled a book off my book shelf, one that I'd read over and over again when I was in high school, and opened the crisp pages to the first chapter.

I got to the eleventh page before I sighed and closed it, growing bored. I pulled out my cell phone and sent a text message to Rose, but she didn't respond right away.

Maybe an hour had gone by before I couldn't take it anymore and searched my room for my laptop. Internet surfing would be a time killer before I got tired and went to bed.

A moment of sheer panic came over me before I remember that I'd left my laptop at Jacob's apartment. I bet he didn't even notice it was there. I texted him, to ask if I could stop by real quick, but got no response.

Then again, Jacob said he'd had to help someone out tonight, so maybe he wasn't even home. I could just swing by the apartment, let myself in, grab the laptop, and come back to Charlie's. Jake had made it more than clear that I was welcome in his apartment. Was it still considered breaking and entering if I knew where they key was?

After another second of debating, and growing more and more agitated and bored, I grabbed the keys off my desk and hopped into Jake's car. Charlie was asleep, and I hope I didn't wake and scare him with the engine. I took my chances and headed off toward La Push.

It took me longer than usual to get to his house because I made a wrong turn. Everything looked so different in the dark; it was like driving in a whole new territory.

The Mustang wasn't in the drive, just another car I didn't recognize. It was older, I could tell, but still in very good shape. It didn't fit the flair of any of the guys, and I can't imagine the crew having such an old car when they each had brand new expensive sports cars. Maybe it belonged to the friend of the person Jacob had to help out tonight whom I didn't know.

I shrugged and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Jacob again, but he didn't answer. I hopped up the wooden stairs to get to the entrance of the apartment and dug the key out from underneath the mat. I turned it in the lock and heard the click, and pushed open the door slightly before I froze. I heard someone speaking.

Shit! I didn't think anyone would be here! There was only that one car in the drive, and I didn't know who it could possibly belong too.

I felt like a stalker while I stood there, key still in the doorknob, hands frozen and stuck between shutting the door and listening to find out who was in the apartment. I relaxed a bit when I heard the deep, soothing tone of Jacob's voice. I raised my hand to knock on the door, so he would know I was there, and then push the door the rest of the way open, but then the second voice stopped me.

Oh hell no.

**A/N:...Should I be hiding?  
So a lot of you have guesses about certain characters in this story. I know the drama and the questions have been circling for a long time now, but I can tell you we are coming to a close. We don't have much more left to this fic, maybe four chapters or so.**

**What did we think of Jacob and Bella's dinner conversation? What has Jake acting so wierd? And who is in his apartment?**

**Also, put me on author alert if you'd like to be reminded when the two "outtakes" from this story are posted. There will be a Rosalie/Emmett and a Leah/Sam. Both are AH, AU and branch off from this fic.**

**Follow me on Twitter J_Benz1 for teasers, updates, and a bunch of other stuff :)**


	29. Beautiful Liar

**Thanks for all the reviews /favorites/alerts on the last chapter ! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own the song that this chapter was titled after.  
This chapter was beta'd by michasmoonbeam.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 29 _Beautiful Liar  
Let's not kill the karma,  
Let's not start a fight.  
It's not worth the drama,  
For a beautiful liar.  
Can't we laugh about it,  
It's not worth our time.  
We can live without 'em,  
Just a beautiful liar._

I knew that voice. I could never forget that voice. That was the voice that called me a bitch and a whore.

I felt like my heart was pierced right through the center; right through the most vulnerable part of me.

Traitor. Liar. Jacob.

Stupid. Naïve. Me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath through my nose. I opened my eyes again, but I sort of wished I hadn't. I peeked inside – I had to see what was going on before I jumped to conclusions, right?

Jacob's back was to me as he sat on the couch, his arms around the toned body of a tall, thin girl with shiny black hair.

They sat intertwined as far as I could see over the back of the sofa. Leah's head was resting on his shoulder. I wanted to cry out just from the sight.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to make this work, Lee. It has to work. And I know the crew will support it."

Questions swam in my head and made me feel overwhelmingly dizzy.

"I hope so. I don't know how the guys will take it, given our past and everything."

"It will be fine, I promise."

I couldn't have been this stupid. Surely, I was missing something – a really big something.

"What if I want Sam back? Is that an unbelievable thought?" Leah laughed dryly, sarcastically.

"Only you can make that decision, Lee. But you can't keep thinking of only yourself. You know I love you, but you can't keep doing dumb shit."

I felt my dinner coming up. The dinner I had ate next to Jacob. Who told me he loved me. Who wanted me to move in with him.

"Do you think he'll take me back after…?" I shut the door a little more when I saw Leah sit up and gesture between her and Jacob.

Jacob shrugged, but I could barely make out his expression through the dim lighting.

Leah sighed audibly. "Would you take Bella back?"

My adrenaline spiked when I heard my name. What the hell happened between the two of them that made them bring me and Sam into their conversation?

A whole bucket of expletives flooded my mind but I bit my tongue. I was beyond livid. I was not going to sit around and be played. The signs were there; had I refused to see them?

I debated on three scenarios: one, I slam the door shut loud enough for them to hear and know I was pissed, then leave; two, walk in and demand answers, not leaving until I get them; or three, shut the door, go on my way, and move on.

"Bella and my situation is…"

I didn't listen to the rest. I'd heard enough to scar me for a lifetime.

I closed the door shut and heard the soft click of the lock. I stomped down the steps and ignored the chill air that made my eyes tear.

I sniffed, wiped away the salty tear droplets, and forced myself not to cry. It wasn't worth it. A lying cheater was not going to get anything from me.

A sob racked through my body anyway, despite my mind's protests.

I eyed the unfamiliar car in the drive. Leah.

God, how her name even sent a wave through my body that caused my blood to boil. Who the fuck was she? I didn't even speak to her for more than two seconds, ever, and she had caused so much trouble for me and in my short relationship with Jacob. Obviously, it takes two, and Jacob was just as much to blame as Leah was, if not more.

I clenched my fists tightly in anger and felt the jagged edges of the car keys stab my hand. The shiny little Volkswagen taunted me.

In a moment of rage, and quite possibly utter stupidity, I held one sharp edge of the car key out and curled my fingers around it.

Fuck her. Fuck him.

The key made a horrifically awful sound as it scraped the car from the rear door to the front bumper. It was almost like nails on a chalkboard. The pain flaked off, and a shiny metallic gray replaced where I had held the key against it.

I admired it for only a moment before the panic began to set in. I had just keyed Leah's car. She would definitely know it was me. I threw the car keys on the ground; they were keys to Jacob's Lexus anyway, and I didn't want any more favors from him.

I tightened my jacket around my middle and dug my cell phone out to call Rosalie. I began to power walk down the driveway while I listened to the phone ring.

"Hey Bella!"

"Can you go to jail for keying someone's car?"

"No," Rosalie answered without missing a beat. "Well, I don't think so. I mean, it is vandalism…but no, I doubt it. Why?"

"I just keyed someone's car."

"Who?" Rose gasped.

"Leah fucking Clearwater."

"O-kay. Can I ask why?"

I huffed. "I just walked in on her and Jacob."

Rosalie was silent on the other line. For a second I almost thought she hung up. "Oh he's a dead man."

"I just want to go home," I groaned.

"Where are you?" Rose asked me.

"Walking down Jake's driveway."

"How did you get there? You drove?"

"Yes, but I was using Jacob's car. I'm not driving it back. I'd rather walk."

"Bella, you can't walk. Can you call Charlie? He'll take you home."

"Yeah, I guess. But that's not what I meant, Rose. I want to go home- as in Florida."

"You want to fly back here? Okay. Um, what exactly did you walk in on? I mean, did you confront Jacob?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright. Get a ride home, okay? I'll look for flights now." I heard the clicking of Rose's manicured nails tapping the keys of her keyboard.

"Thank you," I said before hanging up and calling Charlie.

Twenty minutes later I saw the flash of red and blue lights. My father must've used his lights and sirens and sped here with the cruiser. He would have never made it in twenty minutes driving the way he usually did.

He pulled over the side of the road where I was standing. I got in and gratefully sunk in the warm cabin, immediately burying my face in my hands. My dad allowed me a few minutes of quiet before he started asking questions.

"Do you want to explain to me why I am picking up my daughter way past midnight in the middle of the streets of La Push?"

"Not really," I grumbled.

"Well?"

"Jacob and I broke up," I told him.

"Oh." Charlie cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable all of a sudden. He was ready for lecture mode; he didn't expect this. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, Dad." Not physically, anyway.

This was clearly uncharted territory for my father. I was sort of grateful for his lack of experience in this area.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly. I know he didn't really want to hear details, and I didn't want to give any at the moment either.

"No."

We drove back to the house and my dad offered to talk once again, but I declined. I trudged up the stairs and collapsed on my bed while trying to clear my mind of all thoughts.

Rosalie texted me to inform me that she booked me a flight for eight a.m. Although I felt like hopping on a plane right now, I knew that would be too rash. I was already firm in my decision to end things with Jacob, but leaving tomorrow morning would give me time to properly pack and think of a way to tell Charlie I was leaving. I was not looking forward to that.

Surprisingly, sleep came easily. I thought I would lie awake forever, laying on my back in bed, staring at the ceiling, but I didn't. I slept peacefully through the night, but I didn't feel rested in the morning. I woke up at six thirty and stuffed most of my clothes in my suitcase.

I was mildly sentimental about leaving. Again. I was always leaving something. I felt the sense of dread already building at the core of my stomach with the idea of what words to say to my father. I felt horribly guilty for leaving him like this.

Charlie was awake, sipping his scorching cup of coffee at the kitchen table in his police uniform. He peered up at me over his mug and raised an eyebrow when he saw the suitcase I was lugging down the steps.

"Hi," I said softly.

Charlie just nodded.

I bit my lip, then the words just spilled out. It was better to get it all out, right?

"I'm going back to Florida. My flight leaves at eight."

He was understanding and didn't ask any questions. "Just let me call work and then I'll drive you to the airport," he responded.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

I set my suitcase by the door and tried to find something I could eat for breakfast that would sustain me, although I had no appetite to speak of. I crunched into an apple while I checked the messages on my phone. Half of me was hopeful that maybe there was a message from Jacob and there was a reasonable explanation for all of this. The other half never wanted to think his name again.

There wasn't anything from Jacob, only a text from Rosalie asking me if I was sure I didn't want to think things over or at least talk to Jacob before leaving. I told her I would see her in a few hours.

My dad didn't have much to say on the ride to the airport. I guess I was too old for his lectures now. I went from thinking about everything, to thinking about nothing.

Charlie stayed with me through the airport until we reached the security checkpoint. He dug his hands into his jean pockets and stood in front of me awkwardly.

"I know we didn't see much of each other, but I'm sorry coming to Forks wasn't what you wanted."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad. I wish I didn't have to leave like this, but things kind of went downhill pretty fast, and this is the only way I can handle it."

"I understand. You're a grown woman now, Bells, and you have to do what's good for you."

"I'll come visit more often; I do miss it here."

"Alright. I'll hold you to that."

I smiled with tears wetting my eyes. "Bye, Dad."

I wrapped my arms around his middle before any of the tears could spill. He hugged me back for a few moments, and then he was gone. I went through the rest of security and boarding alone.

I slept for most of the plane ride. My eyes closed as soon as we were safely in the air and I only woke up when the baby a few rows behind starting screaming its lungs out. We were over Florida by then, and it was dark.

The three-hour jet lag plus my midday nap made me feel like I had missed an entire day in time.

It was just growing dark when I collected my lone suitcase from baggage claim and dragged it outside to sit in the lobby with me. Rosalie ran toward me when she saw me, and collected me into a hug.

"Oh, Bella," she said, "c'mon, let's go home."

She drove quietly, peering at me from the corner of her eye every so often. I knew she was about to burst with questions if I didn't start talking soon. I sighed.

"Thanks for picking me up on such short notice."

She waved a hand in my direction. "Of course! You know I wouldn't leave you hanging."

"I know."

"Are you still happy that you decided to fly back so quickly?"

"I haven't given it much thought yet."

"Oh." She waited.

"So he takes me to dinner, basically says he wants us to spend forever together, then drops me home, disappears, and then I walk in on him and Leah." I said flatly.

"No," Rose gasped.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Wait…'walked in on' as in…what? Were they…"

"No. Thank God. But, who knows, maybe I got there just before or just after, or hell, I don't know."

I saw Rosalie's forehead cringe when she narrowed her eyes. "Whoa. So wait. They were just what…? Sitting there?"

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"Bella…you're losing me here."

"They were on the couch talking. About her and Sam and me and Jacob. The point is, Rose, Jacob acted so shady and then I find out he was hanging out with Leah! If he had nothing to hide, wouldn't he tell me he had to do something with Leah! For God's sake, he knows she and I don't get along, he knows I'm wary of her. Yet he goes and keeps it all a secret like I would've never find out what they were doing behind my back."

"You should've confronted him before you assumed they were fooling around or something," Rose argued.

"I didn't want to talk to him! Don't you see it? He lied- well, he didn't tell me the truth. He downplays his relationship with Leah to me, saying they're just friends, but then goes behind my back and hangs out with her. I'm sorry, that just doesn't add up."

"Look, I agree with you. He shouldn't be leading you on or keeping things from you."

"I don't know, Rose. Maybe I missed the signs all along. Everything was too perfect, you know? I fell head over heels and ended up falling flat on my ass. Now what do I have? I mean, I should have known."

"Don't say that. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"It was there, right in front of me, the whole time. I mean, he's young, hot, rich, and famous – we know how guys like that are. He ran from the cops, he got arrested – not just once, but enough for the guys at the station to know him – he didn't give enough of a shit to stand up for me when Leah called me a bitch for no goddamned reason; how stupid could I have been to think I could have the good and the bad?"

"You weren't being stupid, Bella. You just fell for him."

"I messed up. I had everything planned and everything was in place. I had to leave because some good looking jerk offered me something I thought I wanted."

Rosalie slowed the car as we came to a red light and she turned to look at me.

"Listen to me, Bella. You were in a boring relationship with Edward who was more interested in being your father than your boyfriend. You met Jacob and got excited that you finally felt something again. So what if didn't work out? It hurts, no doubt, and it sucks big time, but you can't sit here and wallow about why you went for him and you should've seen the signs. Hindsight is twenty twenty, for sure, but Bella, you've changed – for the better. I hope that wasn't just because you were in a relationship with Jacob. I saw what you were like when I visited Forks. You were so much more enthusiastic about life, and happy to go out and have a good time. I hope you don't lose that."

I sighed and looked out the window when we started moving again. In my mind, I knew she was right, but my heart was hurting too much to accept the truth right now. I'd known Rosalie for long enough to know that she was going to be honest with me no matter how much it hurt.

"I won't. I'm just mad. I was ready to move on and change my whole life, and to be honest, that's a little scary."

"Well, maybe it wasn't meant to be."

"Maybe."

My phone vibrated loudly, but I made no move to answer it until Rosalie asked who it was. I dug it out, just in case it was my dad calling to see if I had a safe flight, but it wasn't.

"It's Jacob."

"Does he know you're in Florida?"

"No, he thinks everything's normal and I'm at my Dad's in Forks."

"Uh, I'd hate to tell you what to do, but maybe you should inform him that he's no longer in a relationship. I mean, something like that is kind of need-to-know. He might freak out when you don't answer and think something's happened."

"I'm too tired to talk to him right now."

I fell asleep at Rosalie's apartment and then let her drive me home in the morning. I was thrilled to see my familiar red truck, even though seeing it reminded me of Jacob now. Rosalie left for work, after making me promise I'd call her if I needed to and she would leave early.

I hauled myself down to the beach.

I spread out on an old blanket by the dunes and watched the waves. Then I made the dreaded phone call to my mom.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

"Bella! Sweetheart!"

"I just wanted to let you know I'm back in Jacksonville. I got in last night."

"Are you? Oh, you have to come check out the new place! Phil and I just got finished with the decorators- it looks great!"

"That's good, Mom."

"How's everything with that boy you're seeing?"

"Well, he's still in Washington and I'm in Florida."

"Aw, honey…"

"Don't worry about it, Mom, I'm fine. So is the house still on the market or did it sell already?"

"We still own it. We haven't been offered what we're looking for yet, so we might rent it out instead of selling. Phil is looking into our options."

"So, can I stay in it for now?"

"Well, I guess. I'll let you know though, because the realtor might pop in once in a while if she needs to show it."

"I just need it for a few weeks until I figure out what I'm going to do with a job and school. Maybe Rosalie will want to find a place with me." I made a mental note to remember to speak to Rose about being roommates.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, Bella! You two girls will have so much fun being roomies! If only I was young and twenty-five again…"

I laughed. "Alright, Mom. Well, I'll call you later."

My phone beeped with a few old messages that I'd ignored earlier. I didn't have the courage to delete them without looking at them, because I'll admit I was curious, but I wasn't ready to open them. I didn't know what I was going to say to Jacob.

I shook the sand out of my blanket and packed my things in the truck. I was expecting the condo to look a little bare, or at least different, but I was not expecting what awaited me when I opened the door.

The first thing to hit me was the smell. The smell of pollen and flowers was overpowering. So much so that it got into my throat and I coughed on it. I left the door open so the place could air out. Clearly, neither my mom nor Phil had been in here in a few weeks. The culprit was in the kitchen. Culprits, rather.

Vases upon vases of flowers of all different sorts were arranged on the kitchen table, on the floors, on the counters, atop the chairs.

There were a long vases of a dozen red roses, white roses, long stemmed flowers, lavender forget-me-nots, white daisies, yellow daisies, and tons more that I didn't know by name but recognized by sight. There were plants, varying shades of browns and greens that reminded me of the woods around Forks and La Push, and potted plants with giant leaves and blossoming flowers. I noted that some of the flowers had wilted, indicating that they had been there a while.

A neat pile of cards, some in envelopes, and some not, sat stacked in the center of this jungle. I picked them up and sat on the couch to read through them.

I wasn't surprised to see Edward's handwriting. I knew it right away.

There were letters and cards and notes and poems. He apologized in each, and said he loved me and he missed me more than anything; he commented more than once that he didn't know what to do with himself now that I wasn't here.

My first instinct was to melt, and be heartbroken for him. I didn't want him to feel that way; I'd hated to see him hurt. I knew we would have to speak again, if for no other reason but to give him the sense of closure that I had been content with weeks ago.

I dialed his number that I still knew by heart.

"Bella?" He sounded as though he thought he would never hear from me again.

"Hi, Edward." I tried to keep my voice as polite and upbeat as possible. "I got your flowers, thank you."

"Did you get the cards, too?"

"Yes, I got the cards, too. It was sweet of you, thanks."

"So you read them then?"

"Yes," I answered, even though I had started skimming through them after the third one.

"And?" He asked.

"And what?"

"And…what do you think? Bella, I've been missing you so much. I really hope we can work things out; I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I thought you were simply getting cold feet from all the wedding talk, so I let you have your space, but I should have fought for you; I should have tried harder. I know that now, but I feel so foolish for letting you go. I shouldn't have let all of this time go by."

"Oh, Edward," I started, "I don't know what to say to you. I wasn't getting cold feet."

"Surely things were just moving too fast. Please, Bella, just give me to chance to see you again. I need to talk to you. We need to work this out."

"I don't-"

"Can I stop by after work? I'll come by your place; I just need to see you and talk to you."

I felt horribly guilty for leaving things off the way they were, and I felt that Edward deserved to at least get that closure. I trusted myself enough to know that I wouldn't just fall back into his arms the moment that I saw him walk through the door, so I agreed.

"Okay. Stop by after work."

"I'll see you soon, then. I have to get back to work. Thank you, Bella."

"Bye, Edward."

I shut my phone but it started ringing the second I put it down. It hadn't stopped ringing at all within the past two days. I knew I wasn't being fair to Jacob by just ignoring him. I opened up the screen to compose a text message and selected his name from my list of contacts.

_I'm happily at home in FL. I saw you with Leah. Please stop calling me._

I pressed send after reading the message over a hundred times. It could come off in a number of different ways, but I was pretty sure he'd get the point. It was over.

I forced myself to get up off the couch and unpack my things. After disposing of the dead flowers, I arranged the live ones in various places throughout the condo. I couldn't throw them all out if Edward was going to stop by, that would be rude.

I lugged my suitcase up the stairs and put in a few loads of laundry. I tidied up my room, and added some new purchases to my closet.

I took a shower and decided I would get dressed up for tonight. I'd promised Rosalie that I'd get drinks with her and a few friends tonight as a welcome back. I knew that I was early, but I figured I'd get ready now instead of rush later.

I twisted my hair up into a bun and slowly braided two pieces on the side. I chose a red dress with a deeper v-neck than I ever remember wearing. It fell to my mid thighs. I put on white shoes from my mother's closet. She'd left very little behind in the condo, but I assumed that meant what was left she didn't want anymore.

I was putting on mascara when the doorbell rang and I almost poked myself in the eye. I finished applying one more coat and dusted my face with powder before I went downstairs. I saw a flash of Edward's bronze hair through the windows by the front door.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. This conversation could go one of two ways.

Good. Or bad.

**Ummm...I'll be hiding now.**

**I'd love to hear you're opinions on this chapter! Bella jumped to conclusions, but do you think she's right? What could Jacob and Leah have been doing? Do you think's she smart for agreeing to talk to Edward? And what could be going through Jacob's head right now?**

**I know y'all probably have tons of questions, but I promise this isn't going to drag out. Only a handful of more chapters to go!**

**Follow me on Twitter at J_Benz1 for teasers, updates, and such.**

**I've already mentioned that I'm posting two outtakes that branch off from this story: a Rose/Emmett one that is currently being beta'd, and one about Leah's story. I'm also thinking about writing one for Jared/Kim and Quil/Claire. Please let me know if you'd be interested in either or both!**


	30. Like It's Her Birthday

**Sorry this took so long to get out, but it was a tough chapter to work through. Thank so you much for the reviews for the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the song this chapter was titled after.**  
**A hundred thanks to my beta michasmoonbeam.**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 30 Like It's Her Birthday  
Can't believe it,  
What I'm seeing,  
When I stepped inside.  
She's so wasted,  
Acting crazy.  
Making a scene,  
Like it's her birthday.  
Drinking champagne,  
Going insane.  
Falling on me,  
Like it's her birthday.  
She's showing me a different side,  
That I've never seen before,  
That I ignore.

"B-Bella?" Edward asked, stunned, as he stepped into the doorway. His eyes dropped to the 'v' of the dress.

I stepped aside and let him enter, oddly feeling confident rather than self-conscious. "Come in; sit down."

My heels clicked against the tiled floors as I crossed the room and led us into the almost bare living room. I sat at the edge of the couch, and thankfully, Edward sat towards the middle, leaving enough space between us.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Good," Edward started. "Well, that's not entirely true. I've been missing you."

"I-I, um…yeah."

"Did you have a nice time visiting your father?"

My brow furrowed in thought. "How did you…?"

"Carlisle," he answered. "He called me when he saw you at the hospital. I think I left you a message, too, when that happened."

"Right…"

"He told me you got hurt on a motorcycle. I almost didn't believe him – that doesn't sound like you."

"A lot has changed." I told him.

"I guess it has," Edward sighed. "I still love you - that hasn't changed."

I tried a smile, but it didn't stick. "I know, Edward, but-"

"If anything, the time apart just made me realize how much I need you in my life. I've gotten so used to being with you that I felt like I was living a whole other life while you were away. I didn't like it. I want to be with you, Bella…"

"Edward-"

"…and I swear I can change. I'll do whatever you want. You can let Alice plan the whole wedding; don't get stressed out over one thing…"

"That's not-"

"…and all you have to do is show up and then it'll be over. And I'll even move in with you, here! I saw the condo was up for sale, I'll buy it and you don't even have to move. I know I always said it's too far away from my job and school, but I'll compromise, see? I'll make changes, Bella. We-"

"I dated someone else."

"-can even think about…" his sentence faded out and he looked up at me intently. "What?"

Now that I had his full attention, I regretted blurting out those words.

"I was seeing someone else," I said. "In Forks."

"Really? You…did you…how…oh, I-I didn't know."

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"Do I know him?" Edward asked, a bit too aggressive for my taste.

"No. You don't know him. That's not the point. The point is…the point is that I think you've convinced yourself that me breaking things off and going to Forks was just cold feet. And it wasn't."

Edward studied me silently, so I continued.

"I had to get away, Edward, I just _had _to. I felt so…stuck…in this routine, in this role – that I didn't want to be in anymore. I'm not saying we didn't love each other. I do love you Edward, but I wasn't being _me._ I was hiding away half of my personality and half of my desires just so I could please you and just so I could stay in this nice little niche you carved out for us. But I…found myself in Forks. It could've been anywhere, to be honest, it just happened to be back home in Forks. I wasn't worried about conforming to anyone's rules, except my own, and I had _fun._"

"I love you too, Bella," Edward insisted, "and I can have _fun_ with you. I never knew you felt that way. I don't want you to hide half of yourself; I would never want that. I want to do things that you like to do – I can learn."

I sat up straighter and looked him in the eye. "Do you like this dress?"

"Do I…what?"

"Do you like the dress that I'm wearing?" I asked again. Edward's eyes fell to my chest, then to my small waist that the fabric of the dress clung to brilliantly.

"Well, I…it's a little too…_much_ for my taste. I just think it would be nice for you to-"

"This is how I dress now," I stated adamantly. "I'm not saying all the time, but it's different. It's something that's changed since I've been gone. I like dressing up and I like looking nice and I like showing off a little. Can you _learn_ to get along with that?"

"I-I…do I have to like it?" He winced.

I huffed and rolled my eyes. I knew I didn't want to be back together with Edward. Trying to make him prove that he would change for me wasn't going to make or break my decision. Even if he did change, which obviously wasn't looking too good, I had already fallen out of love with him.

Maybe I had fallen out of love with him a long time ago. Maybe it was before I even left for Forks.

I heard the front door open and Rosalie's voice floated to the living room. "Let's go, Bella! We got shots with our names on them at the bar," she called.

"Rose, we're in here!"

I heard her steps pause in confusion; Rosalie hesitantly stepped into the living room. Her eyes narrowed and flashed between Edward and me. "What's going on in here?"

Edward frowned. "Do you normally barge into people's houses like that?"

I noticed Rosalie was dressed up for our plans tonight, she must have stopped at her house after work to change so that we could head straight to the bar. Was it eight o'clock already?

"Do you normally-"

"Edward," I said, cutting off Rosalie's sneer. "I'm sorry but I made plans with Rose tonight. We're going out for drinks, you can come if you'd like."

I heard Rosalie disagree with me in the background.

"Bella…but I thought…" he glared in Rosalie's direction when he realized she was still standing there. "Can you give us a minute?"

I nodded my head in her direction so she would know to just let me finish talking with Edward. He continued when she was gone.

"I feel like we have more to talk about," he admitted.

I sighed. "If you need to say more, I'm not going to stop you. But I've said and heard what I need to. I don't want to get back together with you, Edward. I've been having fun living my life the past few months and I'm going to stick to that. I refuse to go backwards, I'm sorry. I do care about you, and if you want to spend time together still, I'll do that. But I'm not making any promises."

I stood up, picked up my purse, and slung it over my shoulder. I took a few steps toward the door.

"Fine. Let's go – let's have some _fun._"

I gave Edward directions to the bar after picking my jaw up off the floor when he said he wanted to come.

"We'll meet you there, okay?" I didn't give Edward a chance to protest; I slipped into Rosalie's car. She grumbled and slammed her door shut after starting the car.

"I can't believe you invited him!" She said.

I shrugged. "I couldn't tell him that he couldn't come."

"Yes! Yes, you could have!"

"Oh well. He's harmless."

"Did he just show up?" She asked, pulling out of the driveway. I was pretty sure she sped down the highway so she would lose Edward, who was trailing behind us in the Volvo.

"He called me a little earlier in the day and asked if he could come over so we could talk. He deserved closure."

"And did he get it? Were you blatantly honest?"

"Yes," I answered, hoping that I truly was.

"So that's it? We're really closing the Edward chapter of your life?"

"We're really closing the Edward chapter of my life."

Two cranberry vodkas and three tequila shots later, I made it hard for Rosalie to believe those words. I was sloppy, and I knew it, yet there was nothing I seemed to be able to do about it. My movements were careless and my words were slurry. Control was unreachable.

I remembered how uncomfortable Edward looked at the beginning of the night. I knocked back a drink before I even hit the dance floor. I danced with Rose, with a stranger, and then Edward said he would dance with me, if that's what I would like. By the time he had worked up the courage to do that though, I was long gone. Our dance was really more of Edward holding me up while I swayed back and forth – from the booze, not the music.

I'd kissed him, too. Right after I downed the third tequila shot, I'd pressed my wet lips against his and shocked the hell out of him. It was right up against the bar, and I hooked my leg up around his outer thigh.

Edward's frame was stiff, and his hands were cold as they held my arms. His lips moved against mine in familiarity, not in passion. Rosalie dragged me away to the bathroom and scolded me for that one.

She told me we should go home, that I was going to be disappointed in the morning, but I fought. I told her I was having fun, and maybe Edward really could learn to be fun, too.

"You're drunk, Bella. You're fucking wasted off your ass, and you miss Jacob, and you're thinking hey, Edward's here, he's available, and he wants me."

I nodded; my head felt heavy and it tipped to the side. I braced myself against the sink in the bathroom.

"If you go home and get back together with him, you'll be right where you started Bella- stuck. Again. And if you just want him to spend the night because you're lonely, you'll send him the wrong signals. And I know you, Bella. You'll hate yourself if you hurt him like that."

Edward was looking for us, and he spotted us as soon as we opened the door of the bathroom. Edward and Rosalie got into a heated fight. I couldn't keep up with the back and forth. Edward grabbed my arm and it jolted my attention back to them.

"She can't even stand up, Rosalie!"

I thought I was standing just fine. It was the ground that was moving.

I stumbled away from them and rested my head against the bar. The bartender winked at me. He reminded me of Quil.

I even called him Quil when I attempted to order anther drink.

"No, that's okay!" Edward interrupted, yelling over the music. "We're leaving."

Rosalie stood in his way.

"S'ok, Rose…Edward's gunna take me ho-ome."

Rosalie looked concerned. "Bella, I don't think that's a good idea. I really think you should stay with me."

"It's…alright, Ro…"

"You better not pull any bullshit Edward Cullen, because I will royally kick your ass tomorrow morning if I find out. _Don't _test me." Rosalie hugged me tightly and said something into my ear that I couldn't remember.

I had trouble walking to Edward's car from the bar, even though he held my hand. The concrete didn't agree with my heels.

Apparently, my head didn't agree with me either the next morning.

My head was throbbing. My feet ached. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I wanted to hurl.

I did, a few times.

When I could stand again, I swished a glass of water around in my mouth and washed down two Advils. I looked in the mirror at my sad, hungover reflection.

My hair was pushed away from my face, my makeup was less smudged than I would have expected, and I was wearing a black tee-shirt. It looked an awful lot like the one Edward wore to the bar last night.

I almost threw up again.

My dress was gone; I searched under the sheets for it, but it wasn't there. I vaguely remembered leaving the bar, but after that everything was so blurry. I remembered Edward had carried me to bed, and I'd peeled my dress off.

He must've gotten undressed, too, if I was now wearing his shirt, right?

I racked my brain of any memory of having sex with Edward last night. I sure didn't _feel_ like I had sex, but then again I couldn't rely on that. Would I have really been so selfish as to sleep with him just after telling him I didn't want to be with him?

I pushed myself out of the bathroom and turned on my cell phone. I had to plug it into the wall so I could use it, since I had carelessly let the battery die.

"Rose?"

"Bella!" Rosalie answered. "I just tried to call you; your cell went right to voicemail."

"Yeah. It was dead." I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my temples. "I have a headache."

"I figured as much. Where's Edward?"

"I…well, I don't exactly know."

"He's not with you?" She sounded surprised.

"No."

"Did he spend the night?"

"I-I don't think so. See…that's kind of the problem."

"You don't remember," she said matter-of-factly.

"No. But I'm wearing his shirt."

Rosalie sighed. "Have you tried calling him?"

"I figured I'd ask you first," I told her.

"You left the bar with him last night. You refused to come home and stay with me. I tried but-"

"It's not your fault," I interrupted. "I acted stupid."

"It's okay. I knew it was the alcohol talking."

"What do I do now?"

"I don't know," Rosalie said. "Call him, I guess. Find out what happened."

"I'm scared to know," I admitted.

If I did have sex with Edward, what would he expect now? Did he think all of this meant we were back together? Was he really going to make an effort to do things like go out with me and try things that I liked? Was it even worth it if he did? Too many questions floated in my head, including ones I'd previously thought I had the answers to.

"You've got to get it together, Bella. Call Edward. Let me know how that goes. And if he did something you didn't want to do, stall him at your house and call me."

"Uh…why?"

"Because I'm gonna kick his ass."

Calling Edward wasn't necessary – because he knocked at my door a few minutes later – with food.

He smiled radiantly and pecked me on the lips while I was frozen in confusion. "Good morning, love. I got a whole bunch of food because I didn't know what you were in the mood for. Plus, I got this…smoothie…thing." He held up a plastic container holding some sort of pink colored mush. "The guy at the store told me it was a miracle for hangovers."

"Oh. Thanks," I said, accepting the smoothie from his hand. I took a sip from the lime green straw and tried not to cringe.

"Do you like it?"

"Did we have sex last night?"

Edward's eyes widened. "We…uh, well…you….we….no."

"What does that mean?"

"No, Bella. We didn't have sex. You were drunk and I…I wouldn't do that when you were in that…state."

My body flushed with relief. "Okay. Wait – then why am I in your shirt?" I gestured to the black tee shirt hanging on my body.

"You got in your bed with…nothing on, and I just thought you'd be…uncomfortable. So I gave you my shirt."

"Oh. Well, thanks."

"You're welcome."

"So…did you have fun?"

Edward laughed. "I don't know that I would call it that. It was different, for sure. I never in a million years would have guessed you would like something like that. Watching you drink yourself into oblivion and then babysitting the rest of the night was not ideal. I know Rosalie makes you think that's what you should be doing, but-"

"Rosalie doesn't _make_ me think anything. I have my own brain, Edward," I said, automatically becoming defensive of my best friend. "Rosalie would still respect me if I didn't want to go out to places like that. She used to accept it when I was dating you and declined every single invitation she offered me. And I realized how much I missed out on."

"Did she tell you that?" He asked. "Did Rosalie tell you that you were missing out because you were with me? You know what? I never thought of that – I don't know why it didn't hit me before! _She_ told you to leave me, didn't she? Rosalie told you to leave Florida?"

"Of course not!" I yelled.

"She no good, Bella. She's bad company. She's a slut; she-"

I shoved Edward. I pushed both of my hands against his shoulders and pushed. He stumbled back a foot. "Get out."

"B-"

"How dare you!" I screamed. "Get the fuck out!" I slammed the door once he was gone. Hot tears fell down my cheeks but I didn't know why I was crying.

I collected all the hideous flowers from Edward that were scattered different places throughout the house and smashed them into the garbage. I ripped them apart, petal by petal, and let them fall into the garbage, mixed with salty tears.

My cell phone started to ring an hour later. I didn't make a move toward it; not to answer it, not to turn it off.

Rosalie came over. We rented a movie and ate Chinese food from the carton in my living room. My phone kept ringing. Rose confirmed each time that it was Edward calling.

It stopped for a while; there was at least a two hour gap between the calls. Then it rang again.

I huffed and held out my hand towards Rosalie. "Give it to me."

She handed me the cell phone without a word.

"What do you want?" I answered hastily.

"Bells!"

Fuck. It wasn't Edward this time.

"Jacob."

Rosalie sat up in her seat and set the carton of lo mien on the coffee table when she heard me. She leaned in as if she could hear both sides of the conversation.

"I was starting to wonder if you fell off the face of the earth!" He said. I wished that was what had happened instead. "I've tried calling you a few times."

I was tempted to just hang up, but I didn't. "Didn't you get my text?"

"The one about me and Leah? Uh…yeah, I got that. You didn't return any of my messages, though. That's why I've been calling; I'm kind of confused."

"About…?"

"Why did you fly back to Florida without saying anything? I had no idea you were gone."

"I told you. I saw you with Leah."

"When?" He asked. If he tried to deny it, I was going to scream.

I sighed. "On the night after we went out to dinner and you disappeared after dropping me off at my father's house. I drove back to your apartment because I needed my laptop, and I walked in on you and Leah in your living room instead."

"You came to my house that night." I could tell it wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"So you're the one that keyed my car," he chuckled.

My hand flew to cover my mouth. "I-I…I keyed _Leah's_ car. It was the Volkswagen; I didn't recognize it and I thought it was…oh my God, I keyed your car. I'm sorry."

Jake laughed. "It's alright. You probably didn't recognize it because I hadn't showed it to you yet. The Rabbit stays in the old garage at my dad's place. It was the first car I ever worked on."

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"No harm done. It's already been fixed. I needed something to keep me busy while I waited for you to return my call."

"I wasn't going to return your call. I only answered just now because I thought you were someone else," I confessed.

Rosalie nudged me in the shoulder. She didn't like that answer.

"So you left because you think Leah and I…?"

"Well, yeah. Even if you didn't…_do_…anything, you disappeared on me. You acted shady and you said you had something to do. You obviously were hiding something from me. And I'm sorry; I don't tolerate secrets like that in a relationship."

"Bella, I…" Jake sighed. "I see where you're coming from. I guess if I was in your shoes and walked in on a scene like that I would have felt a bit blindsided given the circumstances. But can I…will you give me a chance to explain?"

I held up a finger to tell Rosalie I'd be right back. She frowned, but turned back to the television and started to watch that again. I excused myself and walked upstairs.

"Okay."

Jacob let out a long exhale before he spoke again. "Leah needed my help with something, my advice. She asked me not to say anything to anyone – not her family or the crew, anyone – so I was trying to respect her privacy."

"You couldn't have just told me you needed to help Leah with something?"

"And would you have let it go if I didn't tell you what it was about?" He responded.

"Probably not," I admitted.

"Exactly. Anyway, I thought I was doing the right thing; I was trying to be a good friend. And I know for some reason there's bad blood between you and Leah, and I guess I found out why, but that's beside the point. I-"

"Why?" I interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Why does Leah not like me? Besides that she thought I was a groupie who was after money and fame."

"Uh, well…Leah's pregnant."

"Jesus Christ, Jacob!" I almost fell off of the slippery edge of the bathtub where I was perched.

"I mean, the crew is going to know about it soon anyway, but she didn't want anyone to know, and she didn't really know what to do and she was kind of lost and I was the only one she wanted to talk to."

"Well, congratulations," I said sarcastically.

Jacob sounded like he wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Uh…thanks? I'll pass it to Leah."

"I'm sure you'll make a great Dad, Jake."

I was tempted to hang up the phone, but curiosity and shock kept my ear glued to the phone.

"What? Bella….wait, no! Shit, I'm not the father," he blurted quickly.

"Well then…I'm completely confused."

"Can we start over?" Jake asked timidly. "For some reason I'm getting the feeling I'm not explaining this very well."

"Yes, please."

"Okay. So…you know Leah and I dated a long, long time ago."

"Yes," I answered.

"And you know that she cheated on me…"

"Uh huh."

"With Sam," Jake concluded.

"Right."

"Sam is…it's hard to explain. I was never real close with him, but he was friends with the guys and he's a great mechanic so he kind of found his way into our crew. When Leah told me she slept with Sam, I wasn't as surprised as I probably should have been. Sam and Leah have this…this odd connection. He makes her happy and they've always been drawn to each other. They started going out not too long after Leah and I broke up. Leah and Sam are, on and off, at best. They love, then they fight, and Leah says she hates him and then a month later she's back on his arm. I've given up with the two of them."

I absorbed and tried to process the story as best I could, although I wasn't sure where this whole thing was supposed to lead. I didn't interrupt, but rather let Jacob get out whatever he had to get out and hoped there somehow was an ending that erased the image of Leah and Jacob in my head.

"Basically, after the whole Quil thing happened, when Claire's mother left them, Leah became possessive. She ran off any of the girls we tried to hang out with because she assumed they were all like Claire's mother. For the most part appreciated her loyalty and fierceness, but it got to be too much."

"I'm not exactly seeing where all of this is going, Jacob."

"Alright. Look, long story short, Leah's pregnant by Sam. He's cheated on her a whole bunch of times and she hasn't completely forgiven him, but for some unknown reason she still loves him. She's known for a month or two but she had no one to go to and she finally decided to tell me first."

"So when you two were talking, she was just telling you that she was pregnant?"

"Yes," he responded. "I swear, Bella, I don't have any romantic feelings for Leah. Everything is strictly platonic. I was trying to help her out as a friend. Sam has cheated on her mostly with girls he meets at races, so that added a lot to her attitude toward you. She's kind of was jealous of you. Maybe jealous isn't the right word, but that's how she described it. "

"Leah has no reason to be jealous of me," I scoffed.

"Just as you have no reason to be jealous of her."

I didn't really have a response for that.

"I really care about you Bella. I wish you hadn't run off like that without talking to me."

"Yeah; I probably should've gotten the whole story first." I confessed.

"I miss you. It's been different without you here."

"It's been different here, too."

After a moment of silence, Jake spoke again. "So…what now?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"You don't trust me," Jacob stated simply. He didn't sound mad, or upset, or hurt.

"I-I guess that's what it comes down to, doesn't it?"

"I mean…as much as I care about you, I don't think any two people can be together if they don't trust one another."

"I agree with you," I said.

"I'm willing to work on it," Jacob offered. "I guess I never saw how my relationship with Leah affected everyone else around me. I think there need to be boundaries. I've already talked to her about things."

"Well that's…good."

"Thank you for letting me explain," Jacob said.

"Thank you for calling until you got the chance to. I'd regret if I walked away without knowing the truth. I'm sorry I rushed off like that."

"I get it."

I stood up and opened the bathroom door, almost ready to return to the living room where I'm sure Rose was waiting impatiently. I cleared my throat and spoke.

"I do care about you Jake, those feelings haven't gone away. I had a lot of fun with you while I was in Forks, even here when we were in Florida, too. But right now, things are kind of a mess for me. I think I just need some time. I'd love to fly back to Washington and be with you, but…I can't. I think the trust issue will always be there in the back of my mind if I do that."

"I understand that." Jake said quietly.

"I just need time to works things out. And if it's meant to be…" I started.

We'll find each other again," Jacob finished. "I can live with that."

I smiled through tears that threatened to fall. I felt like my heart and mind were tearing me in two different directions, but I was scared to listen to my heart again.

"I've got to go," I rushed. "I have company downstairs waiting for me."

"Alright. I'll talk to you soon, Bells."

"Bye, Jacob."

A/N: Sort of nervous to hear all your thoughts, but please review! What did you think of Bella's conversation with Edward? Don't we love Rosalie? Should Bella have forgiven Jacob? What do you think about Leah's situation and her reasoning?

I'm confirming there will be a R/E outtake/ jump off from this story, and I also know for sure there will be a S/L outtake. So, don't forget to put me on author alert if you'd like to see more from Leah's POV in the L/S outtake.

Also pretty sure there will be a Quil/Claire outtake and I'm exploring the possibilities of a Jared/Kim.

**One more chapter before the epi**

Follow me on Twitter J_Benz1 for teaser, outtakes, and update information.


	31. The One That Got Away

**Hi y'all! I know this chapter is a long time coming so I'm just going to let you at it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the lyrics of which this chapter was titled after._  
_Big thank you's to my beta micahsmoonbeam for the edits :)**

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter 31 _The One That got Away  
In another life  
I would be your girl.  
We'd keep all our promises  
Be us against the world.  
So I don't have to say you were  
The one that got away._

4 Months Later

I twisted my hair into a braid over my shoulder, since it would be hot today.

"C'mon Bella! We have to get on the road so we can make it by lunchtime!" Charlie hollered from the kitchen, only five hundred feet away.

"Be right there!" I yelled back.

I stood in front of the long mirror and took one last look: blue converse sneakers, short cut-off denim shorts, a gray tee shirt, and a worn blue baseball cap.

It wasn't exactly runway status by any means, but it was perfect attire for attending a drag race.

I was still blaming Rose for this.

My father had saved up so many vacation days at the station that he couldn't roll over any more days. So, after a bit of prodding, I convinced him to spend some time with me and fly down to Jacksonville. This was his fifth day here, and we were planning on enjoying the last two.

Charlie complained about the heat and the sun as soon as he got off the plane. He was so used to overcast skies he had to wear his sunglasses nearly everywhere. He didn't complain about the accommodations though, which I half-expected him to.

He was staying in the only bedroom in my small apartment a few miles away from the old condo. Renee and Phil's condo had been snatched off the market two months after I came back to Florida from my extended stay in Forks and La Push. I'd found this tiny one bedroom and fell in love. It was simple, but cozy, and I didn't feel closed in by the lack of space at all.

It was a ten minute drive from my job, and a five minute drive from my college campus, which was also a plus. I'd found a nursing manager position in a small, quiet office that paid well enough for me to continue school. I went back to school in the evenings as a full time student which also meant I would finish my degree next semester, earlier than I had expected.

I grabbed a small bag that was serving as my purse and joined Charlie out in the car.

He was already set and comfortable in the driver's seat of his rental car, a black Chevy Malibu; air conditioning on, of course.

"Ready?" I laughed at his eagerness and enthusiasm.

"Let's hit the road."

We were driving an hour and forty minutes to Daytona Beach to watch a drag race competition. Charlie hadn't been to a live race in years, and he almost passed out when Rosalie handed him an all-access passe to the races in Daytona.

She knew he was coming down to visit, and now that she had professional relationships with so many of the sponsors, she got so many free tickets and passes to races and she wanted to give my dad something special that would hopefully be a fond memory of the sunshine state.

"D'ya think Leah and Jake will be racing?" he asked.

"Dad," I sighed with a slight laugh. He wasn't very subtle.

Charlie emailed me once in a while about the time he was spending at Billy's house, sometimes with the crew. He enjoyed all their company, and admired Jacob. He'd been hard to convince after I left Washington in such a haste, but I assured him Jake wasn't to blame, and Charlie went right back to liking him. He didn't push us to get back together, but I know he hoped for it.

"What? I'm just asking."

"I know. Maybe we'll see them." I said with a shrug.

To be honest, my stomach was in knots at the thought. I couldn't decide if it was the good or bad kind of nerves. On one hand, I would be thrilled to see Jacob and the crew, I'd gotten fairly close to them all and I missed them. On the other hand, I was scared of opening old wounds.

After re-settling in Jacksonville, I'd kept my attitude that prevailed in Forks when I was with Jacob. I did what I wanted to do, not what I thought others wanted me to do. I was happy at where I was at in life, and it only depended on me and my choices, not the choices of who I was with.

I'd purposely misplaced the program of teams that would be racing, because I didn't want to see if Black and Clearwater would be racing.

I left it up to chance.

"That Edward kid isn't still after you, is he?"

"No, dad."

"But you still see him."

"Sometimes. He is my friend."

Charlie huffed. "Friend."

"It's true," I insisted. "Neither one of us have the intention of getting back together. He's Rosalie's boyfriend's brother, after all, so we all hang out once in a while. But he told me he doesn't think we'd be a good match anymore now that I've changed so much, and I agree with him."

"Alright. If you say so. "

I scrunched my feet underneath me and curled up on the seat with a textbook for one of my classes, despite the police chief's disapproving glare. I figured the drive would be a great time to get some studying done, since I never had a problem reading in the car.

I had the best of intentions, but I feel asleep with my cheek against the cool glass and woke up with a crick in my neck. I yawned and stretched out my legs when I woke up. Charlie just chuckled in my direction.

"Where are we?"

"About five minutes from our destination according to this…thing." Charlie waved his hand in the direction of the navigation system.

"I packed up some snacks for lunch," I told my dad. "Do you want to eat now or should I carry them?"

Charlie searched for a parking spot and once he found one he hurried to unbuckle his seatbelt and get to the track.

"Just leave them. We can always come back later or just buy something if we get hungry."

"Okay."

I dusted myself off and stretched out tall once we were out of the car. Charlie waited by the bumper; I thought he was going to take off running if we didn't see any cars or smell any gasoline in the next five minutes.

Charlie took his ticket out of his wallet and read off the seat and section number. "Let's just get in the bleachers first, and then we'll search for the right seat number. It doesn't really matter where we sit anyway; I don't know why they bother with seat numbers like we're all going to be organized."

I shook my head with a smile and followed my dad's lead, letting him enjoy his day. I stuffed earplugs in my ear, since we were walking so close to where the cars started from. I felt the quick rumble of the cars before I saw them.

We stood by the front for a while, just watching the crew work so comfortably around the starting line, getting ready for the next pair of racers. Charlie leaned over the barrier at the edge to get the best view.

We watched three start offs from the pit area. The grey smoke from the tire burnouts drafted towards us and made me cough a few times, and it burned my eyes. Charlie took the hint and we moved toward our section. We passed by a few camera crews and I couldn't help but wonder if any of the photographers were here on Rosalie's behalf, to get footage for her press ideas.

"Here we go!" Charlie exclaimed when he climbed up two steps of the aluminum bleachers and found our seats. He shuffled around a little before sitting. I walked past him and sat down next to him. Our section wasn't crowded, but it was roped off, and I had a feeling Rosalie hooked us up with the best tickets.

We were pretty close to the front, only a few rows up, and towards the middle of the quarter mile. There weren't bleachers down at the end of the track anyway, they only stretched for about half of it.

I had to admit, I left my earplugs in this time. It seemed a lot louder than the last time I was here.

We watched the group of Formula 1 race cars, and I mostly watched my Dad's reaction. It was rare that I saw him like this; he stood up and cheered and jumped up to see that stats at the end of the runs. It was nice to spend time with him like this.

I held my breath when the funny car section was up. Sure enough, I saw one of the Black and Clearwater cars come into view. But it wasn't Jacob or Leah's name that they announced. It was Jared Cameron's. We were pretty close, so I half recognized Jared's form, a little slimmer than Jacob's.

The crew pushed the car out to the starting line, and I strained my eyes to see who was working here today. I wondered if the whole crew was here. I hoped everything was okay and that Jacob wasn't injured or anything.

Jared was incredible. His car took off down the track like a cheetah. He started out a little slow, and his competitor inched past him, but then Jared zipped in front and left the other car behind by over two seconds.

Charlie and I cheered and shouted while we watched him beat team after team. After a few races, I heard Embry's name being blared from the audio speakers. He must have been the second driver.

Embry did pretty well, not as good as Jared, but enough to keep them tiered in the competition. He won two races and lost three. The ones he lost he didn't lose by much, which I hoped was consolation for him and the rest of the team. They ranked third by the time their section was over and the cars changed to the Pro Modified division.

We had a bit of an intermission around three thirty, so Charlie and I walked back to the car to get our snacks. There was an accident and the staff and crews needed time to clean up. Thankfully no one was injured, but the track was a mess and littered with car pieces. We sat in the shade of the car and hid from the sun.

"Are you glad you came?" I asked my Dad.

"Oh, yeah, of course Bells. I missed you, you know. It gets lonesome sometimes up in Forks all by myself."

It was sad to hear that admission, but I agreed. "You should move down here, to Florida. I'm sure the station will give you a great retirement plan and pension and all of that. I mean, you've already been there over forty years."

He scoffed and shook his head. "It's too darn hot down here. I'll melt. You could move back up to Washington, you know," he countered.

"I know," I said softly.

"I hate being so far away from you, kid."

"Me too, Dad."

"I have money saved up; I'll help you get a place. And I'm sure you could land a job no problem with all those degrees that you have."

"Thanks."

"Anyway," he continued, standing up, "how long did you plan on staying? Do you have to leave at a certain time?"

"Nope. It's all up to you; it is your vacation after all."

"Maybe let's just stay for a few more categories. I want to see the bikes, too."

I laughed. "Okay, fine with me."

We found our seats again a little after the races resumed. Pro Mod still had a few races left, and Charlie used some of that time to explain to me the differences in the categories.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, but at first I thought it was just the vibrations of the cars speeding by. I felt it again a few minutes later and dug around for my phone and saw that Rosalie was calling.

I saw she left me a voicemail, and while I was listening to it, she called me again.

I pressed my finger against my left ear and strained to hear what Rosalie was saying. The next two Pro cars took off down the track and I heard even less. My dad cheered and I sighed; I wasn't going to be able to hear one word.

"Dad? Dad? Charlie!" I tapped my dad on the shoulder and signed that I was going down to the outskirts so I could take the phone call. I shouted into the phone that I would call Rosalie right back, then ended the call so she wouldn't have to hear the ruckus on this end.

I hopped down the aluminum bleachers and power walked through the stands until I was outside of the area where the races occurred. Once behind the bleachers, I walked to the right, hopefully headed in the direction of the grass parking lot where I would be far enough away to make a phone call. Once I saw the sea of cars in the overflow grass parking lot, I knew I wasn't going to find Charlie's rental car.

I started taking slow steps around the lot and called Rosalie.

"Hey, Bella!" She yelled.

"Ow, damn, I think you busted my eardrum."

She laughed. "Oh! Sorry – I didn't know you found a quiet spot."

"Yeah," I commented, "I took a little walk."

"How is it?" She asked.

"It's fun. My dad is really enjoying himself; thanks for the tickets, Rose. I'm glad he got to see a race down here. I'm not sure if we're ever going to leave."

"He hasn't complained of the heat yet?"

I chuckled. "Of course he has. But he's alright right now, he's too distracted by all the grease and gears."

"Ah," she responded.

"So what's up?"

"Emmett and I and a few friends are going to get drinks later; I was calling to see if you wanted to come."

"Well…what time?

"Ten. I know you only have your Dad here for one more day, but I figured after the exciting and long day in the sun, plus jet lag, he'd be snoring by ten and you won't feel guilty coming out with us."

I could almost see Rosalie's smug smile that she wore whenever she knew she effectively persuaded someone to do something.

"I see you've thought this through."

"I have. Oh, and I'm going to borrow your brown sequin skirt."

"Alright, just text me the details," I agreed. Rosalie and I went out more often, sometimes with Emmett and her friends from work or sometimes just us girls.

"Will do!"

I stuffed my phone in my pocket and headed back toward the area where there were vendors to get a drink of something. The sun was high in the sky and it was beating down my back. I figured Charlie could use another bottle of water, too.

I passed the entrance to the section number on the bleachers I had just come from, and made extra sure to memorize landmarks so I wouldn't get lost.

There was a drink stand a few feet from me, so I ordered a lemonade and a bottle of water for Charlie. I held them in the crook of my arm and decided to continue my walk.

I walked through the vendors, pausing to look at memorabilia; tee shirts, hats, necklaces, trinkets, car models, and other things that I could potentially give my dad as a gift and souvenir from Florida.

I heard an eruption of cheers from the thousands of audience members. A favorite must've won a race or something, I thought. That's also probably why no one was really walking around. It was nice though, for it not to be so crowded. If it was during a boring batch of races, or around lunchtime, it was hard to walk in all this space by the vendors.

Now, though, a few teams were sitting in lawn chairs sharing a drink and some food with their crew members under the shade of the awning off their trailers. A few smiled and some waved as I walked by.

I walked for another few minutes, bought a black tee shirt for my Dad, and a pink hat for myself, and started to walk back.

"You know, I still have a V.I.P. access ticket sitting on the counter in the trailer."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Jacob?"

I turned my head to the right, and he was standing three feet from me. He looked downright sexy, too. He was wearing a black and red shirt that was made of jersey material but clung to his pecs sinfully. He had one leg cropped up on the pole that carried the rope around the crew's trailer, and he smirked at me knowingly.

"Hi!" I shouted, unable to help myself or the smile that spread across my face. I'd talk to him once or twice, through text messages mostly, since I'd left Forks four months ago. He'd been respectful and understood that I just wanted time to myself and wasn't planning on jumping back into anything serious.

I walked into his arms and he bear hugged me.

"How've you been?" I almost sighed at the feeling of being wrapped in his arms again. It felt so safe, and so right, that I didn't want him to let go.

"I've been good."

"Good, good." Jake squinted his eyes and looked over my shoulder. I turned to see what he was looking at – I didn't see anything.

"You're not here with someone, are you?" He laughed shyly. "Sorry, I'm getting déjà vu."

I laughed loudly when I realized this scene was similar to one when we first met and Edward walked up behind me. It felt like that was lifetimes away. I felt like a completely different person than the one I was back then; and I probably was.

"No, no. Well, I'm here with my dad."

"Charlie? He finally got himself to a race!"

"Yeah; he's visiting me for a few days and Rosalie nabbed him some tickets."

"Ah, sweet. He's always welcome to come see races that we're running in; my dad would love for some company to tag along."

"I'll remind him," I said.

"Cool."

There was an awkward lull in the conversation and I looked behind Jacob and peeked inside the open trailer door. I couldn't see much.

"Why aren't you racing today?" I asked, remembering my earlier surprise when I saw Jared and Embry representing the team.

"Oh, you noticed, huh? Well the team is trying to see who is going to fill the second spot we have open for a driver now. Leah's just about…six months pregnant now and so of course she'll be out of racing for a while. We're giving Jared and Embry a chance to duke it out."

"Wow, six months already?" I tried to picture Leah with a pregnant belly in my head. I wondered if she would race still after the baby was born.

He nodded. "Yup."

"Good for her. And how's your sister and father and everyone?"

"They're great…everyone's doing well. Rachel asked for you," he told me.

"Oh, well tell her I said hi."

"I will," he promised.

I shifted the two drinks in my hand uncomfortably and peered up at Jacob, shielding my eyes against the sun. "Alright…well, I should get back to…I'll see you around, oka-"

"You're not going to turn me down a _second_ time for the backstage access, are you? The first time hurt my ego enough, I don't think I can bear being rejected again."

I snorted.

Jacob held out his open palm in my direction and pushed aside the rope separating us.

After only moments of debating, I smiled, placed my hand in his, and allowed him to lead me into the trailer.

**Would love to know what you're thinking - please review!  
It's not over yet-coming soon is the epilogue. I hoped to have this fic done by the end of the year, but seeing as there is only a week left of 2011 I'm not making any promises.**

**Send me a review or send me a tweet on Twitter. I'm J_Benz1**


	32. Lucky

**We've arrived at the end! Took us a while to get here :/ I apologize for the delay but a few things took over my RL in the past two months.**

**Anyway, this is kind of short and sweet, and I hope you like it! Thank you to all of you who have supported me throughout this story, everyone who put this on story alert or me on author alert. Huge thanks to my betas who helped me out whiping this piece into shape, including michasmoonbeam who beta'd this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Or this Jason Mraz song.**

Good Girls Good Bad

Chapter 32 Epilogue _Lucky  
I'm lucky I'm in love  
With my best friend  
Lucky to have been  
Where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again._

18 Months Later

Claire knocked into my legs while she was running away from Quil. She giggled and screeched when he got closer.

"C'mon Claire bear, sit still, you're gonna see Daddy on TV in three minutes."

"Will the kids in my class see it too?" she asked in her sweet little voice.

Quil scooped her up. "Maybe."

The whole crew was gathered at mine and Jacob's apartment, above the track that they practiced on. I'd moved in, permanently, after about six months of long distance dating.

Quil sat beside me on the couch with Claire in his lap. "The kids at school are teasing her because of all the press," he explained.

"What?" Embry said, appalled.

Claire nodded. "I jus' tell them that they jus' wish their daddies were on TV like mine."

I laughed but Quil didn't find it funny. "Sweetie, you can't say that to the other kids."

"Why not? She should tell them to f-"

"Hey!" Leah yelled before Embry could get the last word out. She was giving her son, Aiden, a bottle while she rocked him and walked around the living room. "She's five years old, you can't curse around her. And no cursing around my son either!" She was serious but she had a smile on her face.

"To go to hell. Geez Leah," Embry said, "I was only gonna tell her to tell the kids go to hell."

I rolled my eyes.

"Where's hell, daddy?"

"Dammit Embry!" Quil yelled.

"Turn it up, turn it up!" Jake yelled from the kitchen.

He hopped over the back of the couch and settled between me and Quil. Leah sat on the corner, safely cradling Aiden away from harm by a swinging arm or bump from one of the pack. Sam looked kind of lost as to where to sit, and I couldn't really blame him. Leah was making him really work to be part of her and Aiden's life, but the poor guy couldn't tell if he was coming or going.

Seth was sprawled on the floor in front of the flat screen, and Colin was not too far from him in the same position on the floor. The rest of the guys found seats around the room, and Jared bust in the door at the last minute with a fresh-faced Kim.

We were gathered to watch the second episode of fast five meets the amazing race, which was the biggest new reality show called Speed.

I'd been involved in bits of filming. It followed 6 drag teams from the top of the northwest coast to Las Vegas, Nevada. They had racing challenges along the way and two teams finished the race, ending up at the event in Vegas. Since the show was done taping, we already knew who won, but we weren't allowed to say.

It became way more popular than the crew or the producers ever thought it could be. The guys were practically celebrities now after the show. At first we thought only racing fans would watch it, but it was simple and exciting and dramatic and suspenseful so it was mainstreamed to all audiences after the initial pilot.

The intro was cute- the name of each team flashed across the screen, then pictures of each crew member involved appeared with their names. I could only imagine how many girls had already fallen in love and developed celebrity crushes on the boys.

Even though the crew got popularity pretty much overnight, I wasn't worried about it all going to Jacob's head. He thought logically about each decision, and never spoke for the whole crew unless they discussed it beforehand. His relationship with his father was still great, and he never let any drama the producers tried to create cause fissions between him and his crew who were, above all, his family.

I had a lot of respect for him because of that. The time apart did me a lot of good, and when I agreed to start seeing Jacob again we took it slow. We got to know each other and spent months having a phone and email relationship before I permanently made La Push my home.

Jacob and Leah had a good friendship, professionally and personally, like they had with the rest of the crew; it was different than the past though. Since I'd been dating Jacob, Leah's been one hundred percent about her son and her entire attitude and personality shifted. I think we were even kind of like friends now.

I had taken over her business side of the company temporarily while she took time off on maternity leave. It allowed me to use the business degree I'd just gotten, and also to have some kind of a job. When Leah wanted to start working again, not racing, she'd been flexible and just came back on the team part time. She handled their racing careers while I managed the business aspects of the garage.

The second episode of Speed followed the crew for the first day of the race. It was mostly surreal, and humorous, but I felt like this was more of a home video than a television series being broadcast to the whole country.

Kim patted my leg as the credits rolled once it was over. "Our boys did good!"

"Damn right!" Jacob shouted, curling me further into his chest.

"And," Kim added, "they haven't embarrassed us yet. Except for Quil."

Leah snorted and laughed out loud. "Ha! Just you wait."

My cell phone dinged with a message and I dug it out of my pocket. Jacob read the message over my shoulder and started cracking up. I grinned when I saw it.

Charlie wanted to know if Quil owned a damn pair of pants. The cameras followed them pretty much twenty four/seven, and a lot of time they found Quil without a pair of pants.

The house phone rang, and Seth leaped up to grab it.

"Mind if I put Aiden in one of the bedrooms?" Leah asked, gesturing to her son's sleeping form.

"No problem." I told her.

Leah knew her way around the apartment well enough, just as any other member of the crew. Since Jake and I lived above the crew's main car garage, and also the track that they practiced on; our apartment was sort of like the central meeting place.

I often came home to more than one guy scoping out the fridge, or woke up to a bulky sleeping form sprawled on my couch. I found my niche in the crew in the form of being somewhat of a pack mother. Jacob lead the group, and most of the guys respected him, the younger ones looked up to him even.

Jacob had established boundaries; meaning, the guys couldn't simply barge in anymore. They stayed over once in a while, but only Colin or Brady, who didn't have their own places yet.

"Shut up!" Seth shouted, for the second time apparently. I hadn't heard him the first time over the rumble of all our voices. "It's Rose!"

He pressed a button on the cordless phone to put it on speaker and placed it on the floor in the living room, with all of us surrounding it.

"Hi Rosalie," all the guys said at the same time. It sounded like they were greeting her at an AA meeting.

She giggled, then went on. "I stayed up late just so I could call you guys after the show aired on the West Coast. You guys did good; I'm proud!"

"Couldn't have done it without you," Jacob said, and Jared rolled his eyes.

"So listen, I got a pretty huge call today. It's a major opportunity and I want to throw it on the table so you can think it over and let me know. A producer at vH1 wants you guys to be the center of a new reality show."

It was silence for two minutes while everyone wrapped their head around Rose's words.

"You've got to be shitting me," Embry said first.

"It would feature each of you guys as a member of the crew, and they'd film you at work in the garage, at races, and also doing some home-life stuff. Ten episodes a season, and a crew would fly out to Washington in a few weeks to shoot some pilot footage. I'll draw up some contracts that I've agreed on with John, who'd be the main producer, and fax them over at the beginning of the week so you can look them over, Jake. Oh, and it's twenty five grand an episode."

"What am I missing?" Leah asked as she clamored down the stairs to be a part of the conversation. Rose went over all the details again, and of course the guys were sold.

"Um, is Bella around?" Rosalie asked after she set up a time for a conference call later in the week with Leah and Jacob.

"Here!" I scooped up the phone from it's place in the middle of the circle and the floor and quickly pressed the button to turn it off speaker phone. "One sec, Rose."

I dashed up the stairs, tripping on the bottom step, and was out of breath when I got to the top, sadly.

"Ooooh, secrets!" I heard Jared shout from downstairs. I snorted.

"Hey, Rose."

"Bella…" she said hesitantly.

I panicked for a moment. "What?"

"Emmett asked me to marry him!" she squeaked.

"Ohmygod, Rose! That's so great! I'm so happy for you!"

I could practically hear her smile through the phone. "Thank you! It's so perfect; I love Emmett so much."

I giggled. "I'm going to now assume that you said yes?"

"Of course!" she laughed. "Of course, of course."

"Aw, Rose. I'm so happy for you guys. We'll have to come and visit soon."

"Yes! You _have_ to! I need my maid of honor with me to start planning!"

"I'm going to assume, again, that you mean me?"

"Of course, Bella, stop being stupid," she teased.

"I'd love to," I said sarcastically, but with a smile. "I'll talk to Jacob and maybe we can both come out for a while."

"I'll just arrange another event down here in Florida and you'll have no choice."

"Another day hard at work," I chuckled.

I sat down on the edge of the bed while I chatted with Rose about how much she needed to plan and when she wanted to be married and how Emmett proposed and any other thing that she could think of. I don't remember seeing Rose so happy or excited about anything in a long while, and I was genuinely happy for her.

A little while later, the bedroom door opened and closed and Jacob entered.

"The guys went home. Leah took Aiden; she and Sam just left," he whispered before disrobing and climbing into bed.

He proved to be quite a distraction, so after finishing the call with Rose I snuggled under the covers next to him in bed.

"Rosalie and Emmett are engaged," I told him.

He hummed, leaning in and kissing me sweetly on the lips.

"That's awesome. Good for them. I like Emmett."

"Me too."

Jacob rubbed his hand up and down my arm before intertwining our fingers. "Does this mean you're gonna catch the wedding bug and want to get married?"

"Wedding bug?" I rolled my eyes, then shook my head. "No," I told him.

I hadn't really thought about getting married.

"Okay, good." He kissed my lips again and traced his fingers along my jawline. "Because I can't be rushed into proposing to you. I have a very grand idea that needs time to be planned." He winked before leaning in for another kiss.

I gasped and put my hand on my chest to hold him there. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You _cannot _say something like that and leave me hanging."

The grin on his face was adorable and infuriating at the same damn time. "Jacob…" I warned.

"Nope."

"Grand idea? You know I don't like big things!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You like _me_."

"Oh, you-I-you know that's not how I meant it!" I slapped his chest as I hid my blush. "What's this grand idea? Tell me."

"No."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Jacob."

"Bella."

"C'mon. Just tell me."

Jacob laughed and rolled over, shutting off the lights and settling on his side of the bed, facing away from me.

"Goodnight."

"Please?"

"No."

"But-"

"Go to bed."

I frowned and grumbled under my breath. Jacob found this highly entertaining, and I tried to hide my giggles and actually be mad.

"I love you," he sang.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What was that?"

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "I love you, too."

**A/N: THE END !  
There you have it; a nice, short, sweet and fluffy epi for you. Please let me know what you thought! I'd love to hear all your opinions! I've worked long and hard with this fic and it would mean a lot to get a review.**

**Although Jacob and Bella's story here is pretty much told - there will be more from other characters in this fic. Kind of like outtakes or jump-offs from this story. A Rose/Emmett will be posting soon, and the Leah/Sam is in progress. **

**Follow me on Twitter (at) J_Benz1 for updates on these and other fics.**

**Thanks for reading !**


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